Daphne du Maurier – 20th-century British novelist, author of Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, a master of the gothic novel. Blending melodrama with psychological thriller, she popularised the “mysterious house” motif. Hitchcock’s adaptations cemented her global fame.
🏰 Rebecca (1938) was an instant bestseller and literary sensation. 🎬 Alfred Hitchcock adapted Rebecca, The Birds, and Jamaica Inn. 📖 The line “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again” became iconic. 🖋 She blended realism with gothic suspense, foreshadowing psychological thrillers. 🌿 She wrote in her cliffside home in Cornwall, landscapes echoing in her novels. ✨ Dubbed the “queen of suspense.” 📚 Rebecca remained in continuous print for decades. 👩👧 Daughter of actor Gerald du Maurier, granddaughter of writer George du Maurier. 🏆 Rebecca won the U.S. National Book Award. 😂 Fun fact: she disliked being labelled a “romantic novelist” and joked she’d rather haunt her own books than pose as a “lady on a cover.”