Mark Twain

Mark Twain was an American writer, humourist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer; his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, a town on the Mississippi River that would later inspire many of his works. Twain had a difficult childhood, marked by poverty and the death of his father when he was just eleven years old. Despite these challenges, he was an excellent student and showed a talent for writing at an early age. These experiences influenced his writings which often dealt with recurring themes of loss and mortality. He went on to publish more works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889) which are now considered classics of American literature. Twain was known for his humour and satire as well as his commentary on American society and politics.