Ellen Glasgow

popular name: Franz Kafka

date_of_death: June 3, 1924

age: 40

cause_of_death: Laryngeal tuberculosis and starvation

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Franz Kafka was a German-speaking Bohemian writer born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now the Czech Republic). He is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Kafka was born into a middle-class Jewish family and had a complicated relationship with his domineering father, which deeply influenced his writing. He studied law at the University of Prague and worked for much of his life in insurance, writing in his spare time. Kafka’s works often explore themes of alienation, absurdity, and the oppressive power of bureaucracy, with his most famous stories including The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle. His distinctive style blends realism with surreal, nightmarish scenarios, reflecting a sense of existential dread. Despite writing prolifically, Kafka published only a few works during his lifetime and instructed his friend Max Brod to destroy his manuscripts after his death. Brod ignored these wishes and instead edited and published much of Kafka’s work, securing his posthumous reputation. Upon his passing, the grave of Franz Kafka can be found at New Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

popular name: Agatha Christie

date_of_death: January 12, 1976

age: 85

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Agatha Christie, the world’s best selling author, was born on 15th September 1890 in Torquay. She is know as the Queen of Crime for her detective fiction stories and her two most famous detectives are Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She is also the only female playwright to have had three productions in London’s West End theatres simultaneously, the most famous of which The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running play.

popular name: Jean Giono

date_of_death: October 8, 1970

age: 75

cause_of_death: Heart attack

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Jean Giono was a French writer who spent his entire life living and writing in Manosque, France. It was here that the author created his monumental oeuvre, inspired by the sun-drenched footpaths and unbridled natural scenery that was his home. Following in his footsteps visitors will cross the landscapes he described so vividly, from Gréoux-les-Bains to Forcalquier where his work A King Alone was born. Among his novels, the most famous are “Colline” (“The Hill”) of 1929, “Regain” (“Re covety”) of 1930, “Le Chant du Monde” (“Song of the World”) of 1934, “Que Ma Joie De meure” (“Let My Joy Remain”) of 1935, “L'Eau Vive” (“Lively Water”) of 1944, “Les Ames Mortes” (“The Dead Souls”) of 1949, “Le Hussard sur le Toit” (“The Hussard on the Roof”) of 1951 and “Le Moulin de Po logne” (“The Polish Mill”) 1952. Outside France, Giono's best-known work is probably the short story The Man who Planted Trees (and 1987 film version). This optimistic tale of a man who brings a deserted valley back to life by planting trees reflects Giono's long-standing love of the natural world, an attitude that made him a precursor to the modern ecological movement. In his later years, Giono was honoured with the Prince Rainier of Monaco literary prize in 1953, awarded for his lifetime achievements, was elected to the Académie Goncourt in 1954, and became a member of the Conseil Littéraire of Monaco in 1963.