HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘The flower bloomed and faded. The sun rose and sank. The lover loved and went. And what the poets said in rhyme, the young translated into practice.’ Written for her lover Vita Sackville-West, ‘Orlando’ is Woolf’s playfully subversive take on a biography, here tracing the fantastical life of Orlando. As the novel spans centuries and continents, gender and identity, we follow Orlando’s adventures in love – from being a lord in the Elizabethan court to a lady in 1920s London. First published in 1928, this tale of unrivalled imagination and wit quickly became the most famous work of women’s fiction. Sexuality, destiny, independence and desire – all come to the fore in this highly influential novel that heralded a new era in women’s writing.
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf was a prominent English writer and modernist literary figure. Known for her stream-of-consciousness writing style, she challenged traditional narrative structures and explored themes of gender, class, and mental health in her works. Some of her most notable works include "Mrs. Dalloway," "To the Lighthouse," and "Orlando." Woolf's contributions to literature include her innovative approach to character development and narrative technique, as well as her exploration of the inner lives of her characters. Her most famous work, "Mrs. Dalloway," is considered a masterpiece of modernist literature and a reflection of Woolf's unique literary voice. Woolf's impact on the literary genre is undeniable, as she paved the way for future generations of writers to experiment with form and style in their own works.