Thomas Hardy

Sasha writes:

Thomas Hardy, the author of more than ten classic novels was born on June 2, 1840, to Thomas and Jemina Hardy. He was born in Higher Bockhampton in Dorset. His home played a big role in the setting he created for many of his novels.
Hardy was the eldest of four children, but was a small and sickly child. Because of this, Hardy spent much of his childhood indoors, reading.
His earliest writings were not novels, but rather poems. He tried several times throughout his early adulthood to get his poems published, but was rejected every time. Then, after working as an architect for eleven years he wrote his first novel The Poor Man and the Lady. This novel and his next novel were unsuccessful and he continued to work as an architect until 1870, when he met Emma Lavinia Gifford, who later became his wife.
After meeting Gifford he began to write again, this time more successfully. By 1874 his writing had become successful enough that he could stop being an architect and support himself and Gifford, who he married that same year.
His wife died in 1912 after they had spent many years together, living peacefully and traveling around the world together. He continued to write, and in 1914 was remarried to Florence Emily Dugdale. They were married until he died on January 11, 1928. His ashes were put inside Westminster abby, and a collection of his poems entitled Winter Words was published after his death.

Works Cited
Ross, David. "Thomas Hardy." Britain Express. 2000. 14 May 2009 .

"Thomas Hardy biography." Notable Biographies. 14 May 2009 .