Muriel Spark

Muriel Spark (1918–2006) was born in Edinburgh and died in Florence. She wrote novels, plays, children’s books and poetry. One of her best-known works is The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which was adapted for film with Maggie Smith in the title role. In 1986, Spark was made a Commander of France’s Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and in 1993 she was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire. She received an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of Oxford in 1999.