The antithesis of overnight success, these authors toiled valiantly without achieving the success, recognition or fame their talent deserved during their lifetime. Check out our list of 8 Authors who became famous after death.
1. Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American writer and poet with a history of severe depression and suicide attempts, . Her first novel, The Bell Jar was published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. Plath killed herself in 1963 one month after The Bell Jar was published. Although she was a prolific writer and had some work published, it was after her death that her fame grew.
Many previously unpublished poems were included in The Collected Poems, which was published in 1981. In 1982, it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.
2. Steig Larsson
Steig Larsson was a well-known journalist in Finland who died at the age of in 2004. In 2001, he began writing fiction, and by 2003, he had finished two novels and was in talks with a publisher. Sadly, the first book in the Millennium Series wasn’t posthumously released until 2005. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a huge success and was quickly followed up with The Girl who Played with Fire and The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest. The trilogy later generated multiple film versions and sold tens of millions of copies in more than 30 different languages.
3. Emily Dickenson
The American poet was said to be extremely reclusive, rarely even leaving her room in later life. Her prolific writing came to light after her death in 1886 aged 56. Her younger sister found her collection of nearly 1800 poems and the first publishing came in 1890. It wasn’t until 1956 that the full collection was published in their unedited form.
4. John Kennedy Toole
Bit of a one hit wonder with A Confederacy of Dunces but that was one more than he achieved while alive. The American writer tried in vain to sell his book to publishers, this rejection along with depression led to his death by suicide aged only 31 in 1969. It wasn’t until 1980 that his book finally made it to publication and in 1981 he was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Price for Literature.
5. Franz Kafka
As a writer, he was pretty much unknown during his lifetime. In fact he reportedly wished all his unfinished work to be burned upon his death in 1924 aged only 40. Fortunately his friend and agent Max Brod ignored this request and went on to publish most of his short stories and novels, including The Trial and The Castle.
6. Herman Melville
Early modest success in his career faltered when he published Moby Dick in 1851. After that flop he was largely forgotten and it wasn’t until the Melville Revival in 1919 did he gain prominence. Alas that was nearly 30 years after he died.
7. Zora Neale Hurston
Ignored by the mainstream literary audience for years she did publish novels and stories popular with African Americans and was involved with the Harlem Renaissance. However this success was not sustained and later in life she suffered financial and health issues before her death in 1960. In 1975 Alice Walker published a magazine article Looking for Zora, in which Walker goes in search of Hurston’s unmarked grave. The revived interest in her work ultimately got her the widespread recognition she deserved.
8. Edgar Allan Poe
Last but not least, Poe was a renowned literary critic during his lifetime as he was unable to support himself through writing. In 1845 he finally achieved widespread recognition for his poem The Raven.
Unfortunately soon after this his wife passed in 1847 and Poe, after suffering a bout of Cholera and rumored alcohol issues, died a few years later in 1849 thus robbing him of a chance to enjoy his long awaited success.
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