
Sample of authors
Hammett, Dashiell
American detective writer, born in St. Mary's County in Maryland. He grew up in Baltimore where his family moved when he was seven years old. Dashiell Hammett dropped out of school when thirteen and got on with odd jobs before ending up a private detective at Pinkertons. He worked as a detective primarily in San Francisco and then used his experiences in his novels. During the First World War,...

Sample of authors
Spain, Jo
The Irish author Joanne ‘Jo’ Spain was born into a working-class family in the little notorious residential district of Belcamp, close to Coolock in Dublin. Her father, who was close to her even though he was an alcoholic, died when she was young. She attended St. John of God’s School in Artane in northern Dublin, and subsequently studied Politics and Philosophy at Trinity College in the city. Thi...