International holidays - Biographers Day

An unofficial holiday, the history of which originated in London back in 1763 It was on this day that an acquaintance took place, and not just anywhere, but in a bookstore, between Samuel Johnson and James Boswell The friendship of these prominent men of their time enabled the latter to write one of the most famous biographies of all time, The Life of Samuel Johnson This work is considered the standard of biographical art, and for good reason After all, the main character of the work himself, they began to call him Doctor Johnson after receiving an academic degree, a brilliant lexicographer, poet, critic, author of the English “Explanatory Dictionary” It is impossible to list all of S Johnson’s merits, because it is not without reason that his name became synonymous with the Age of Enlightenment, as his works influenced the minds of his contemporaries Johnson's talent is not forgotten thanks to the biography of D Boswell, who worked on the biography every day for almost 30 years, and was able to present it to the public in 1791 The word “biography” consists of two ancient Greek words that literally translate: “life” and “I write” It is not for nothing that Plutarch, a Greek philosopher from the very beginning of our era, is considered the first biographer He is the author of Comparative Lives, a unique work on prominent historical figures of the time What is even more interesting is that many life histories are written in pairs, such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar Sometimes a biography looks like a historical and philosophical study, sometimes like a fiction novel, but in any case it is a painstaking work that gives a thoroughly detailed description of the life of an outstanding personality, the morals and customs of his era Having information about the circumstances of the existence of a writer, artist, or historical figure, you can take a fresh look at his work and actions It is an established tradition to congratulate unique specialists so important to literature on May 16th Devotees of creative research organize meetings, lectures, and discussion evenings for literary scholars on this day All over the world, the main places of celebration are libraries and large bookstores: exhibitions of works by recognized professionals, meetings and presentations of modern biographers The best way to celebrate Biographer's Day is to choose and read the biography of a person who is interesting, and in a genre that is close to you; fortunately, the choice is simply huge Everyone will find their own author: lovers of detective stories – Jared Cade’s “11 Days Absent” about Agatha Christie; fashion fans - A Guidel "Coco Chanel"; creative personalities - I Stone about Van Gogh; history buffs – Zweig’s dramas, for example “Mary Stuart” You can turn to the work of brilliant Russian biographers, for example, P Annenkov, the most famous Pushkin scholar Each of the biographies is a valuable literary heritage that allows the modern reader to discover new things