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Portrait image of W. Somerset Maugham Photo: 1929 Bassano/Camera Press / TT

Sample of authors

Maugham, W. Somerset

William Somerset Maugham was a British author born in Paris. His father was a lawyer at the British Embassy there. When Maugham was eight years old, his mother died of tuberculosis, two years later his father died of cancer and the boy was sent to live with his uncle, the Vicar of Whitstable in Kent. Maugham suffered from a serious stammer, he was shy and avoided speaking in public; unlike his...

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Literary figures

Nick Velvet

Gender: Male

He is a professional thief, but he only steals worthless objects to order. This means that author Edward D. Hoch gives him double tasks: partly to carry out the robberies, partly to work out why somebody wants to pay his very high fee to steal, say, water or dust. Nick Velvet is a well-dressed, handsome, worldly gentleman with a patient girlfriend, Gloria Merchant, at his side.

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