Agatha Christie is undoubtedly one of the most influential crime novelists of all time. Although detective novels were already popular, her books soon became the gold standard thanks to their constant suspense, innovative concepts and the public’s fondness for her best-known detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. In just 50 minutes, you will learn how Christie created such a winning...
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The Algerian-born French writer and thinker Albert Camus remains one of the most important French authors of the 20th century. Often associated with existentialism (although he did not fully identify with this philosophical movement), he was also a courageous activist and social critic, speaking out against totalitarianism in all its forms and fighting for justice and equality for all. In...
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Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most fascinating, enigmatic figures in modern literary history. As the leading figure of American Romanticism who drew particular inspiration from the Gothic tradition, Poe set many of his works in singularly haunting atmospheres, while also pioneering new literary styles based on psychological horror. In just 50 minutes, you will find out about the...
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The French novelist Émile Zola was one of the most celebrated writers of the 19th century and remains one of the most widely read, translated and studied authors in the world. He was the leading figure of the literary school of naturalism, which sought to apply experimental scientific methods to literature, and an outspoken critic of injustice in all its...
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Jane Austen has become one of the best-loved English writers of all time. Her biting wit and profound insight into human nature give her writing a timeless quality, even as its authenticity and attention to detail firmly root it in the social context of the 19th century. In just 50 minutes, you will find out how this unassuming writer from...
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Miguel de Cervantes was a key figure of the Spanish Golden Age, a time of exceptional productivity and creativity in the fields of art and literature, and is arguably the greatest Spanish-language writer who ever lived. His literary output comprises novels, novellas, plays and poetry, and he is often described as the father of the modern novel. In just 50...
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Oscar Wilde remains one of the most captivating writers of all time, known as much for his witticisms as for his humorous, though-provoking writing. As a leading figure of Aestheticism and a passionate proponent of art for art’s sake, he sought beauty everywhere and produced works across a range of genres which conceal deeper messages beneath their apparently superficial exterior....
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