The Poems of Aphra Behn: A Selection - Pickering Women's Classics 1º edição

Publisher Marketing: Aphra Behn (1640-1689) was a popular poet, author of the influential novel Oroonoko and one of the most successful dramatists of the Restoration theatre. She travelled widely - to Surinam in 1663 and to Antwerp in 1666, where Charles II sent her as a spy during the Anglo-Dutch war. On her return to England, she spent some time in a debtor's prison and subsequently devoted herself to writing, publishing many poems and about seventeen plays between 1670 and 1689.

Contributor Bio:  Behn, Aphra Born in the first few decades of the seventeenth century, Aphra Behn is one of early literature s best-known female writers. Behn had the lucky distinction of being able to support herself strictly by her pen, something unheard of for women of her time. Throughout her long career, she wrote in various formspoetry, plays, proseand is known as a member of the fair triumvirate of wit alongside fellow scribes Eliza Haywood and Delarivier Manley. Although little is known about her early life, Behn s father held a post as lieutenant governor of Surinam, and Behn s experiences during her stay most likely formed the basis for her most famous work, Oroonoko. Behn was also a popular dramatist in her time, penning critical successes like The Rover and The Feigned Courtesans. Her literary exploits aside, Behn is also known to have acted as a political spy for King Charles II of England during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Behn died in 1689, and is buried in Westminster Abbey.