About
Aphra Behn, born Eaffrey Johnson around 1640 in Harbledown (Kent), is regarded as the first Englishwoman to earn her living by writing. After a stay in the Surinam colony, she briefly married Johan Behn, then spied for Charles II in Antwerp under the code name 'Astrea'. Imprisoned for debt, she turned to the stage, achieving success with comedies like The Rover. Her novel Oroonoko (1688), inspired by her travels, denounces slavery. She died in 1689 and was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey.
* 1640-07-10 — † 1689-04-16
Major works
- The Rover (1677)comedy
- Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister (1684)epistolary novel
- Oroonoko (1688)novel
- The Emperor of the Moon (1687)farce
- Poems upon Several Occasions (1684)poetry collection
Key milestones
- 1663Traveled to the English colony of Surinam, inspiring Oroonoko.
- 1666Spied for Charles II in Antwerp under the code name 'Astrea'.
- 1670First play performed, The Forc'd Marriage.
Themes
Women's role in societyDesire and sexualityPolitics and royalismColonialism and slaveryFreedom and constraint
Sources: npg.org.uk · britannica.com · oxforddnb.com