Bram Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1847. A sickly child who spent much of his early life confined to bed, he later recovered and attended Trinity College Dublin, where he became active in athletics, debating, and university life. After graduation, he worked as a civil servant and theater critic before forming a close professional relationship with the actor Henry Irving.In 1878, Stoker became business manager of London's Lyceum Theatre, a position he held for nearly three decades. His work brought him into contact with leading actors, writers, artists, and public figures of the Victorian era. Despite the demands of theatrical management, he continued to write novels, short stories, essays, and travel books. His works include The Jewel of Seven Stars, The Lady of the Shroud, The Lair of the White Worm, and Dracula.Although Dracula was respected during Stoker's lifetime, it achieved its greatest fame after his death in 1912. Stage and film adaptations transformed Count Dracula into one of the most recognizable figures in popular culture, while the novel itself came to be regarded as a foundational work of Gothic and horror literature. Stoker's combination of folklore, modern technology, psychological fear, and epistolary storytelling continues to influence writers and filmmakers throughout the world.
