Daphne du Maurier (1907--1989), a novelist, playwright, biographer, and short-story writer, was born into an artistic family in London. She began writing short stories and articles in 1928 and in 1931 her first novel, "The Loving Spirit," was published. Many of her works were adapted into films, including "Rebecca,"" ""The Birds," and "Don't Look Now." In June 1969, du Maurier was named a Dame of the British Empire.
Patrick McGrath was born in London in 1950. His works include "Blood and Water and Other Tales," "The Grotesque," "Spider," "Dr. Haggard's Disease," "Asylum" (which was short-listed for the 1996 "Guardian" Fiction Prize and made into a feature film), "Martha Peake," and "Port Mungo," His most recent novel is "Trauma" (April 2008). He lives in London and New York with his wife, Maria Aitken.