Fun Facts About Our Authors & Stories
Did you know? Dive into these interesting tidbits behind our classic tales!
Charles Dickens ("A Christmas Carol")
Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in just six weeks! He was under pressure to write a successful story to pay off debts. The book was an instant success and helped shape the modern celebration of Christmas, popularizing traditions like Christmas trees and greeting cards.
Jules Verne ("Around the World in Eighty Days")
Jules Verne, often called the "Father of Science Fiction," never actually traveled to most of the places he wrote about. He did his research in libraries in Paris, using his imagination to create vivid adventures. His stories predicted many future inventions, including submarines and space travel.
The Brothers Grimm ("The Frog Prince", "Little Red Riding Hood")
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm didn't actually write the fairy tales they are famous for. They were linguists and scholars who traveled around Germany collecting folk tales that had been passed down orally for generations. Their goal was to preserve German culture and language, not to write for children!
Mary Shelley ("Frankenstein")
Mary Shelley was only 18 years old when she started writing "Frankenstein"! The idea came to her during a ghost story competition with her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend Lord Byron, during a rainy summer in Switzerland.
Bram Stoker ("Dracula")
The character of Count Dracula was partly inspired by a real-life Romanian prince named Vlad the Impaler, who was known for his cruelty. However, Stoker also did extensive research on vampire folklore from across Eastern Europe to create his iconic villain.