W. Somerset Maugham

William Somerset Maugham was an English writer known for his plays, novels, and short stories. Born in Paris in 1874, he qualified as a physician in 1897 but never practised, turning to full-time writing with the novel Liza of Lambeth. His later novels include Of Human Bondage, The Moon and Sixpence, The Painted Veil and The Razor's Edge, and his short stories were gathered in collections such as The Casuarina Tree. He wrote his last play in 1933 and died in 1965 at the age of 91.