W. Somerset Maugham

William Somerset Maugham was an English writer, known for his plays, novels, and short stories. Born in Paris, he spent his first ten years in France before being schooled in England and attending a German university. He became a medical student in London and qualified as a physician in 1897, but never practiced medicine, becoming a full-time writer instead. His first novel, 'Liza of Lambeth' (1897), attracted attention, but it was as a playwright that he first achieved national celebrity. By 1908, he had four plays running simultaneously in London's West End. He wrote his last play in 1933 and then concentrated on novels and short stories. His notable novels include 'Of Human Bondage' (1915), 'The Moon and Sixpence' (1919), 'The Painted Veil' (1925), 'Cakes and Ale' (1930), and 'The Razor's Edge' (1944). His short stories were published in collections such as 'The Casuarina Tree' (1926) and 'The Mixture as Before' (1940). Maugham's plain prose style was known for its lucidity. During World War I, he worked for the British Secret Service. He lived on the French Riviera for many years and died in Nice in 1965.