Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, born on 8 November 1847 in Clontarf, near Dublin, when Ireland was part of the United Kingdom. He was often unwell as a child, but went on to study at Trinity College Dublin and worked for a time in the civil service. He later moved to London, where he spent many years as business manager to the famous actor Henry Irving and the Lyceum Theatre, a demanding job that left him only evenings and spare hours for writing.

Stoker wrote a number of novels and stories, many of them touched by mystery, adventure or the supernatural. He is remembered above all for Dracula, published in 1897, which gave the vampire tale its most lasting modern form and has inspired countless plays, films and retellings. He died on 20 April 1912, and his best-known book has kept his name alive far beyond his own lifetime.