Biography
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist authors of the 20th century. She was a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of intellectuals and artists that included E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, and Lytton Strachey.
Early Life: Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen on January 25, 1882, in London. She was the daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen, a notable historian, author, and critic, and Julia Prinsep Stephen, a philanthropist and a model for pre-Raphaelite painters. Woolf was home-schooled in her father’s extensive library and later attended the Ladies’ Department of King’s College London.
Career: Woolf began writing professionally in 1900. Her first novel, “The Voyage Out,” was published in 1915. Woolf’s work was groundbreaking in its use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Her novels explore themes of mental illness, feminism, and the complexities of human experience. Among her most notable works are “Mrs. Dalloway” (1925), “To the Lighthouse” (1927), and “Orlando” (1928).
Major Works: Woolf’s innovative narrative techniques and profound explorations of characters’ inner lives have left an indelible mark on literature. “A Room of One’s Own” (1929) is an extended essay based on a series of lectures she delivered, which argues for both a literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men.
Legacy: Woolf’s work has been widely studied and remains influential in the fields of literary criticism, particularly feminist criticism. Her struggles with mental health and eventual suicide in 1941 have also sparked much discussion and analysis. Her work continues to be a source of inspiration and a subject of academic interest.
Bibliography
Major Novels:
- The Voyage Out (1915)
- Night and Day (1919)
- Jacob’s Room (1922)
- Mrs. Dalloway (1925)
- To the Lighthouse (1927)
- Orlando (1928)
- The Waves (1931)
- The Years (1937)
- Between the Acts (1941)
Essays and Non-Fiction:
- A Room of One’s Own (1929)
- Three Guineas (1938)
- The Common Reader (1925, 1932)
- The Death of the Moth and Other Essays (1942)
Short Stories:
- Monday or Tuesday (1921)
- Kew Gardens (1919)