Bram (Abraham) Stoker was born November 8, 1847, in Dublin, Ireland. At Trinity College, Dublin, he excelled as an athlete, having overcome a childhood illness which made him unable to walk or even stand. He entered civil service, as had his father, at Dublin Castle. He also worked as drama critic for a Dublin newspaper, and in the course of his job met the actor Sir Henry Irving, a man he greatly admired. He became the actor’s manager, a position he held for 27 years.
Stoker was in his 40s before he produced his first work of fiction, The Snake’s Pass, published in 1890. He followed with his most popular novel, Dracula, in 1897. Stoker’s other novels, none of which met with the same success as Dracula, include The Mystery of the Sea (1902), The Jewel of Seven Stars (1904), and The Lady of the Shroud (1909). He also wrote Personal Reminiscences of Henry Irving (1906). Stoker died on April 21, 1912, in London.
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