William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616 Although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding William Shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and Mary Arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to Stratford Grammar School. At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 27-year-old daughter of a local farmer, and they had their first daughter six months later. He probably developed an interest in theatre by watching plays performed by traveling players in Stratford while still in his youth. Some time before 1592, he left his family to take up residence in London, where he began acting and writing plays and poetry. By 1594 Shakespeare had become a member and part owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he soon became the company's principal playwright. His plays enjoyed great popularity and high critical acclaim in the newly built Globe Theatre. It was through his popularity that the troupe gained the attention of the new king, James I, who appointed them the King's Players in 1603. Before retiring to Stratford in 1613, after the Globe burned down, he wrote more than three dozen plays (that we are sure of) and more than 150 sonnets. He was celebrated by Ben Jonson, one of the leading playwrights of the day, as a writer who would be "not for an age, but for all time," a prediction that has proved to be true. Today, Shakespeare towers over all other English writers and has few rivals in any language. His genius and creativity continue to astound scholars, and his plays continue to delight audiences. Many have served as the basis for operas, ballets, musical compositions, and films. While Jonson and other writers labored over their plays, Shakespeare seems to have had the ability to turn out work of exceptionally high caliber at an amazing speed. At the height of his career, he wrote an average of two plays a year as well as dozens of poems, songs, and possibly even verses for tombstones and heraldic shields, all while he continued to act in the plays performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This staggering output is even more impressive when one considers its variety. Except for the English history plays, he never wrote the same kind of play twice. He seems to have had a good deal of fun in trying his hand at every kind of play. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, all published on 1609, most of which were dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothsley, The Earl of Southhampton. He also wrote 13 comedies, 13 histories, 6 tragedies, and 4 tragecomedies. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. His cause of death was unknown, but it is surmised that he knew he was dying.
Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch was born on November 21, 1863 at Bodmin in the county of Cornwall, England. His sisters, Florence Mabel and Lilian, were also writers. While attending Trinity College, Oxford he wrote Dead Man's Rock under the pseudonym "Q" in 1882. He moved to London that same year. He wrote The Astonishing History of Troy Town (1888) and The Splendid Spur (1889). He married Louisa Amelia on August 22, 1889. They had two children; daughter Foy and son Bevil. Bevil died in Germany during the flu epidemic of 1919. While in London, Quiller-Couch took up journalism and was assistant editor to Cassell Publishing's Liberal weekly "The Speaker". In 1891 he and Louisa settled at their home 'The Haven' by the sea at Fowey in Cornwall, upon the advice of his doctor. His love of yachting and rowing led to his being appointed Commodore of the Royal Fowey Yacht Club in 1911 until his death in 1944. Quiller-Couch spent much of his time on the Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900 (1900), The Oxford Book of Ballads (1910), and The Oxford Book of English Prose (1923). During his years in Cornwall he held a number of offices and participated in many committees, advocating system reform. This led to his being knighted in 1910. In 1912 until his death Quiller-Couch was appointed professor of English literature at Cambridge University. He published many of his lectures that were popular, including On the Art of Writing (1916) and On the Art of Reading (1920). On May 12, 1944 died of mouth cancer at his house in Fowey.
