Virginia Woolf.

Adeline Virginia Stephen

Born 25 Jan 1882 Kensington, United Kingdom

Died 28 Mar 1941 Lewes, United Kingdom

Citizenship United Kingdom

7 min read

Reading time

1,238

Words

Mar 7, 2026

Published

Film credits

200

Books

TL;DR

Virginia Woolf, born Adeline Virginia Stephen in 1882, revolutionized modernist literature with novels like Mrs Dalloway 1925 and To the Lighthouse 1927. A member of the Bloomsbury Group, she explored stream-of-consciousness narrative and feminist themes. After a lifelong struggle with depression, she died by suicide in 1941 at age 59.

Identity & family.

KIN · 10

Names, aliases, and relatives of Virginia Woolf — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Adeline Virginia Stephen

PARENTS: Julia Stephen Leslie Stephen
SPOUSES: Leonard Woolf
SIBLINGS: Vanessa Bell Thoby Stephen Adrian Stephen George Herbert Duckworth Stella Duckworth Gerald Duckworth Laura Stephen

At a glance.

STATS

Virginia Woolf by the numbers — life, work, and family.

59 Years lived

3 Film credits

200 Books

1 Marriage

Who was Virginia Woolf?

BIOGRAPHY

Virginia Woolf — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Born on January 25, 1882 in Kensington, London, Virginia Woolf was the daughter of Julia Stephen and Leslie Stephen, a respected editor and author. Her godfather was James Russell Lowell, and literary figures like Henry James and George Eliot visited the family home. She was educated at home, an unusual step for girls at the time, but later studied at King’s College London. The family summers in Cornwall, by Porthminster Bay, inspired her novel To the Lighthouse.

Career

In 1912, she married Leonard Woolf, and together they founded the Hogarth Press in 1917, which published her early work. Her first novel, The Voyage Out, was published in 1915. She achieved critical acclaim with Mrs Dalloway in 1925 and To the Lighthouse in 1927. She wrote Orlando in 1928, a novel she described as a love letter to Vita Sackville-West, with whom she had a decade-long relationship beginning in 1922. In 1941, she published Between the Acts, her last novel.

Personal life

Marriage to Leonard Woolf came in 1912. In 1922, she began an affair with Vita Sackville-West that lasted nearly a decade. She had several siblings, including the artist Vanessa Bell. Severe depression and nervous breakdowns plagued her life, triggered by the deaths of her mother in 1895 and father in 1904, and by childhood sexual abuse by her stepbrothers. On March 28, 1941, she died by suicide.

Legacy

Virginia Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness technique influenced succeeding writers. Her works Mrs Dalloway and A Room of One’s Own remain central to feminist literary criticism. In 2002, Nicole Kidman won an Academy Award for portraying Woolf in the film The Hours.

Filmography.

FILMS · 3

Browse the complete filmography of Virginia Woolf — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

Omnibus

1967
Movie

The Mind and Times of Virginia Woolf

2002
Movie

Virginia Woolf: a Night's Darkness, a Day's Sail

1970

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 200

Virginia Woolf's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

To the Lighthouse

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Mrs. Dalloway

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Voyage Out

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Orlando

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Jacob's Room

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

A Room of One's Own

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Between the Acts

by Virginia Woolf et al.
Amazon

Mrs Dalloway

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

The Waves

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Night and Day

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

Flush

by Virginia Woolf et al.
Amazon

The Years

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

The Second Common Reader

by Virginia Woolf
Amazon

A Writer's Diary

by Virginia Woolf

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Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 7

A wall of memorable lines from Virginia Woolf — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Am I a Snob? First the Question Must Be Answered: What Is a Snob?
A Woman Must Have Money and a Room of Her Own If She Is to Write Fiction.
Against You I Will Fling Myself, Unvanquished and Unyielding, O Death!
Arrange Whatever Pieces Come Your Way.
As a Woman I Have No Country. as a Woman My Country Is the Whole World.
Boredom Is the Legitimate Kingdom of the Philanthropic.
One Cannot Think Well, Love Well, Sleep Well, If One Has Not Dined Well.

Did you know?

FACTS · 5

Little-known facts about Virginia Woolf — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

To spare her husband grief from what would have been her fourth nervous breakdown, she committed suicide in 1941 by loading her overcoat with stones and walking into a river.
She was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, which also included E.M. Forster.
She was the sister of the artist Vanessa Bell.
Her biography appears in Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Vol. 132, pp. 432-442, 2005.
She was played by Nicole Kidman in the 2002 film The Hours.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Virginia Woolf.

When was Virginia Woolf born?

She was born on January 25, 1882. She was born in Kensington, London, England.
Where was Virginia Woolf born?

Virginia Woolf was born in Kensington, London, England, UK. Her birthplace is now part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
When did Virginia Woolf die?

She died on March 28, 1941. She was 59 years old at the time of her death.
How old was Virginia Woolf when she died?

She was 59 years old when she died. She died on March 28, 1941.
Where did Virginia Woolf die?

She died in Lewes, Sussex, England, UK. She walked to the banks of the River Ouse near her home.
How did Virginia Woolf die?

She died by suicide, drowning herself in the River Ouse. She filled her pockets with stones and walked into the water.
What was Virginia Woolf's real name?

Her birth name was Adeline Virginia Stephen. She was known professionally as Virginia Woolf after her marriage.
What did Virginia Woolf do for a living?

She was a writer. She was a novelist, essayist, and critic, and a key figure in modernist literature.
What nationality was Virginia Woolf?

She was British. She held United Kingdom citizenship and was born in London.
What language did Virginia Woolf speak?

Her native language was English. She wrote all her works in English.
Who were Virginia Woolf's parents?

Her parents were Julia Stephen and Leslie Stephen. Her father was a well-respected editor and author.
Who was Virginia Woolf married to?

She was married to Leonard Woolf. They married in 1912 and remained together until her death in 1941.
Did Virginia Woolf have any siblings?

Yes, she had seven siblings: Vanessa Bell, Thoby Stephen, Adrian Stephen, George Herbert Duckworth, Stella Duckworth, Gerald Duckworth, and Laura Stephen.
Where did Virginia Woolf go to school?

She studied at King’s College London. She also received education at home from her father and tutors.
How tall was Virginia Woolf?

She was 5 feet 7 inches tall, which is 1.70 meters.
What is Virginia Woolf best known for?

She is known as a modernist writer, author of novels like To the Lighthouse 1927 and Orlando 1928. She wrote the essay A Room of One’s Own.
Did Virginia Woolf win a Nobel Prize?

No, she did not win a Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works are classics of modernist literature.
What was the Bloomsbury Group?

The Bloomsbury Group was an influential collective of English writers, intellectuals, and artists in the early 20th century. Virginia Woolf was a member, along with E.M. Forster and others.
Who was Virginia Woolf's sister?

Her sister was Vanessa Bell, a noted painter. She was a member of the Bloomsbury Group as well.
What caused Virginia Woolf's depression?

She suffered from severe depression triggered by multiple factors: the deaths of her mother in 1895 and father in 1904, childhood sexual abuse by her stepbrothers, and the pressures of her creative work.
What is stream of consciousness in literature?

Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that attempts to capture the flow of a character’s thoughts and perceptions. She used it in novels like Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.
Did Virginia Woolf have children?

There is no record of her having children. She and Leonard Woolf had a close but childless marriage.
What was Virginia Woolf's relationship with Vita Sackville-West?

She met Vita Sackville-West in 1922, and they began a romantic relationship that lasted almost ten years. She wrote Orlando as a love letter to West.
What was the Hogarth Press?

The Hogarth Press was a publishing house founded by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf in 1917. It published many of her own works as well as those of other modernist writers.
How did her father influence her career?

Her father, Leslie Stephen, was a well-respected editor and author, and he had access to a wide literary circle. His death in 1904 triggered her first mental breakdown.
What was Virginia Woolf's first novel?

Her first novel was The Voyage Out, published in 1915. It was initially drafted in 1910 and went through several revisions.
What was Virginia Woolf's last novel?

Her last novel was Between the Acts, published in 1941 shortly after her death. It reflects her anxiety about war and her own mental state.
Did Virginia Woolf write for the stage?

She primarily wrote novels and essays, but she also wrote a few plays, such as Freshwater, a comedy based on her aunt Julia Margaret Cameron.
What was the cause of her nervous breakdowns?

Her nervous breakdowns were triggered by family deaths, including her mother in 1895, her sister Stella in 1897, and her father in 1904. Childhood sexual abuse also contributed.
Was Virginia Woolf portrayed in any films?

She was portrayed by Nicole Kidman in the 2002 film The Hours. Kidman won an Academy Award for her performance.

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Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on March 7, 2026

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