Bram Stoker (1847-1912), the author of Dracula, was born in Dublin in 1847. A sickly child, Bram was bedridden for much of his boyhood until about the age of seven. As a youth, Stoker was intrigued by the stories told him by his mother. Especially influential to the mind of young Stoker were the stories she related about the cholera epidemic of 1832 which claimed thousands of lives. These cruel and vivid tales began to shape the young Stoker's imagination. In 1863, having made a full recovery, Bram entered Trinity College, Dublin, where he achieved notable success not only as a mathematician and in the Philosophical Society but also as an athlete. After graduating, he made the acquaintance of celebrated stage actor, Sir Henry Irving, England's greatest interpreter of Shakespeare. Stoker spent nearly thirty years as Irving's amanuensis and as the manager of Irving's Lyceum Theatre. Irving, the heavy exposure to Shakespeare, and the world of the theatre had a profound effect on Stoker. In 1897, Stoker published his masterpiece, Dracula. While the book garnered critical success after its release, it didn't achieve peak popularity until well after its author's death. Stoker died in London, England, on April 20, 1912, after battling through years of poor health and shaky financial footing.
