Harper Lee
Not much is known about Harper Lee as she has only ever done one interview. However, we do know some basic facts. Her real name is actually Nelle Harper Lee, but she removed the Nelle for her author name because she did not want it to be mispronounced. She was born on 28 April 1926, which makes her almost 88 years old. In the 1930s, she was raised in a small Alabama town- much like her fictional narrator Scout Finch. She was also a tomboy and her father was a lawyer who owned part of the local newspaper. Her mum had a mental disability, presumed to be bipolar disorder. She has won many awards for 'To Kill a Mockingbird', including The Pulitzer Prize in 1961. She won the Brotherhood Awards for the National Conference of Christians and Jews as well as the Alabama Library Association Award in 1961. In 1962, she won the Bestsellers Paperback of the Year Award. In the mid 1960s, Harper Lee was reportedly writing a second novel, however it was never published. To Kill a Mockingbird was based on Harper Lee's experiences as a child growing up in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a lawyer, who defended African Americans, and the character Dill was base on one of her best childhood friends and fellow author Truman Capote.