Harper Lee

Harper Lee
Portrait by Truman Capote, 1960
Portrait by Truman Capote, 1960
BornNelle Harper Lee
(1926-04-28)April 28, 1926
Monroeville, Alabama, U.S.
DiedFebruary 19, 2016(2016-02-19) (aged 89)
Monroeville, Alabama, U.S.
OccupationNovelist
EducationHuntingdon College
University of Alabama
Period1960–2016
Genre
  • Literature
  • fiction
Literary movementSouthern Gothic
Notable works
Signature

Nelle Harper Lee (April 28, 1926 – February 19, 2016) was an American novelist whose 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize and became a classic of modern American literature. She assisted her close friend Truman Capote in his research for the book In Cold Blood (1966).[1] Her second and final novel, Go Set a Watchman, was an earlier draft of Mockingbird, set at a later date, that was published in July 2015 as a sequel.[2][3][4]

The plot and characters of To Kill a Mockingbird are loosely based on Lee's observations of her family and neighbours in Monroeville, Alabama, as well as a childhood event that occurred near her hometown in 1936. The novel deals with racist attitudes, and the irrationality of adult attitudes towards race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s, as depicted through the eyes of two children.

Lee received numerous accolades and honorary degrees, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007, which was awarded for her contribution to literature.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Harris, Paul (May 4, 2013). "Harper Lee sues agent over copyright to To Kill A Mockingbird". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Nocera, Joe (July 24, 2015). "The Harper Lee 'Go Set A Watchman' Fraud". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  3. ^ Oldenburg, Ann (February 3, 2015). "New Harper Lee novel on the way!". USA Today. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  4. ^ Alter, Alexandra (February 3, 2015). "Harper Lee, Author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Is to Publish a Second Novel". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  5. ^ "President Bush Honors Medal of Freedom Recipients" (Press release). The White House. November 5, 2007.
  6. ^ Chappell, Bill (February 19, 2016). "Harper Lee, Author Of 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' Dies At Age 89". NPR.org. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  7. ^ "Notre Dame issues statement about passing of Harper Lee, shares video". ABC57. Retrieved June 18, 2021.