A Classic Christmas Treasury

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was a prolific English writer of fiction and nonfiction, including fifteen novels. He enjoyed international success in his lifetime and is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time.

Clement Clarke Moore (1179-1863) was an American writer, scholar and real estate developer. He is best known as author of the Christmas poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," better known today as " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) initially strove to be a theater actor but when his soprano voice started changing in his teens, he was encouraged to be a poet instead. Today, the Danish writer is most well-known for his literary fairy tales—156 published throughout his lifetime.

Carolyn S. Bailey (1875-1961) started her writing journey as a contributor to magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal. The American author eventually transitioned into a children’s author with the goal of telling engaging yet teachable stories for kids. She won the Newbury Medal for her book Miss Hickory in 1947.Frances Jenkins Olcott (1872-1963) developed a love for language from her parents, both translators who tutored her in French and German. In 1898, Olcott became the first head librarian of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s children’s department, where she worked until 1911. Afterwards Olcott decided to become a children’s writer herself, publishing and editing 24 volumes throughout her lifetime. Little is known about the real life of Helen G. Ricks, who is only acknowledged in literary anthologies as an unfortunately “forgotten” African American author. The sole piece of writing credited to her name is the story “Bits”, which first appeared in the 1916 Christmas edition of The Crisis. The official magazine of the NAACP, The Crisis’ mission is to educate readers about the issues African Americans and other communities of color face through essays and short stories.Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman (1776-1822) was a German author at the forefront of the Romantic movement in the early 19th century. A composer too, he took the middle name Amadeus out of admiration for Mozart. It is only fitting that two of Hoffman’s stories were later turned into full length ballets with beautiful music—Coppélia and The Nutcracker.Leslie Pinckney Hill (1880-1960) was a prolific educator, teaching at Tuskegee Institute and Manassas Industrial Institute before settling as principal of the Institute for Colored Youth. As part of the Harlem Renaissance, Hill published many poems and essays throughout his lifetime—including a play about Toussaint L’Ouverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution.William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), known by his pen name O.Henry worked a variety of jobs ranging from pharmacist to draftsman to bookkeeper before he started writing as a regular contributor to The Rolling Stone. Throughout his lifetime Porter wrote hundreds of short stories, and he is the namesake of the O.Henry Prize, awarded annually to exceptional short stories.