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A Habit of Stories

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Abstract

A very brief history of biography in this chapter considers how some academics, critics and biographers, in particular Hermione Lee, understand its development. However, as Lee has noted, it can be misleading to understand the development of biography as a tidy, progressive history. On the one hand, some common trends emerge across the centuries as the genre evolves. On the other, the complexity in form, style, structure and medium for biography has changed, and biographers have built on and challenged the work of their predecessors. This chapter also touches on challenges facing biographers from literary estates and ends by briefly recounting a conversation with Clare Brant on some significant recent developments in academic research and teaching.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roehampton University, London, UK

    Jane McVeigh

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  1. Jane McVeigh
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Correspondence to Jane McVeigh .

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McVeigh, J. (2017). A Habit of Stories. In: In Collaboration with British Literary Biography. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58383-9_2

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