Daphne du Maurier DBE (May 13, 1907- April 19, 1989) was one of the most successful Cornish novelists of all time. Her best-known work, Rebecca (1938), is a literary classic and was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning film.
She was born in London, the daughter of the actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier, and granddaughter of the author and cartoonist, George du Maurier. These connections gave a head start to her literary career, and her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published in 1931.
Although married for many years to Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick “Boy” Browning and the mother of one son and two daughters, du Maurier was bisexual (which she referred to as her “Venetian tendencies”), and had intimate relationships with several women, including actress Gertrude Lawrence.
Her writing went from strength to strength. She is most noted for the novel Rebecca which has been filmed on several occasions. Besides Rebecca… read more
Daphne du Maurier DBE (May 13, 1907- April 19, 1989) was one of the most successful Cornish novelists of all time. Her best-known work, Rebecca (1938), is a literary classic and was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s Oscar-winning film.
She was born in London, the daughter of the actor-manager Sir Gerald du Maurier, and granddaughter of the author and cartoonist, George du Maurier. These connections gave a head start to her literary career, and her first novel, The Loving Spirit, was published in 1931.
Although married for many years to Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick “Boy” Browning and the mother of one son and two daughters, du Maurier was bisexual (which she referred to as her “Venetian tendencies”), and had intimate relationships with several women, including actress Gertrude Lawrence.
Her writing went from strength to strength. She is most noted for the novel Rebecca which has been filmed on several occasions. Besides Rebecca, several of her other novels were made into films, including Jamaica Inn (1936), Frenchman’s Creek (1942), Hungry Hill (1943) and My Cousin Rachel (1951). The Hitchcock film The Birds (1963) is based on a treatment of one of her short stories, as is the film Don’t Look Now (1973). She also wrote non-fiction. One of her most imaginative works, The Glass-Blowers, traces her French ancestry. —biblio.com
