Daphne Du Maurier.

The second daughter of actor-manager Gerald du Maurier and actress Muriel Beaumont, Daphne Du Maurier was born on May 13, 1907, in Regent’s Park, London. Her grandfather was the author George L. Du Maurier, creator of Svengali in his 1894 novel Trilby. She developed a love for storytelling while growing up in a theatrical family. Her cousins, the Llewelyn Davies boys, inspired J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.

Du Maurier broke through with her 1938 novel Rebecca, a psychological thriller set in Cornwall that became an instant bestseller. Alfred Hitchcock’s film adaptation in 1940 won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Her other successful novels include Jamaica Inn 1939 and Frenchman’s Creek 1944, both adapted into films. In 1973, Nicolas Roeg adapted her short story Don’t Look Now into a classic film. She published her last novel, Rule Britannia, in 1972.

Du Maurier married Lt. Gen. Sir Frederick A. M. Browning on July 19, 1932. Browning, known as Boy, was a WWII commander and father of British airborne forces, planning Operation Market Garden. They had three children: Tessa born 1933, Flavia born 1937, and Christian born 1940. In 1943, the family moved into Menabilly, the 70-room Cornwall manor that inspired Manderley in Rebecca. She lived there for 25 years. Du Maurier died of heart failure on April 19, 1989, in Par, Cornwall, at age 81.

Daphne Du Maurier’s influence extends beyond literature. Her novel Rebecca remains a defining Gothic romance, adapted into multiple stage and screen productions. She inspired musician Tori Amos, who titled a song Jamaica Inn on her 2005 album The Beekeeper. Du Maurier was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1969, and she also received the National Book Award, the Grand Master, and the Anthony Award. She is most remembered for the enduring suspense of Rebecca and her vivid portrayals of Cornwall.