Aphra Behn author page

Aphra Behn biography

Aphra Behn was an English playwright, poet, and prose writer. She is recognised as one of the first English women to earn a living by writing. Behn’s earliest known play, The Forc’d Marriage, was produced in 1670. She went on to write at least 19 plays, including The Rover (1677), which became one of her most successful works. Her plays were performed in London’s major theatres during the Restoration period.

Behn also wrote poetry and prose. Her best-known prose work is Oroonoko (1688), a short novel that tells the story of an enslaved African prince. Oroonoko is considered a significant early work of English fiction and has been studied for its themes and narrative style.

Behn’s writing was published by several London publishers, including Jacob Tonson. Her works were included in collections such as The Plays, Histories, and Novels of the Ingenious Mrs. Aphra Behn (1871). She was buried in Westminster Abbey in 1689.