Mary Renault

Date of Birth: September 4, 1905

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: December 13, 1983

Biography

Mary Renault, born Eileen Mary Challans, was an acclaimed British novelist best known for her historical novels set in ancient Greece. She was born on September 4, 1905, in Forest Gate, Essex, England. Renault studied at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, where she earned a degree in English in 1928. After college, she trained as a nurse at Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, where she met her lifelong partner, Julie Mullard. Renault began her writing career with contemporary novels but gained widespread recognition for her meticulously researched historical novels. Her first major success came with “The Last of the Wine” (1956), which was followed by a series of novels about Alexander the Great, including “Fire from Heaven” (1969) and “The Persian Boy” (1972). Her works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling, deep character development, and historical accuracy. Renault moved to South Africa in 1948, where she lived with Mullard until her death. She passed away on December 13, 1983, in Cape Town, South Africa.

5 Interesting Facts about Mary Renault

1. Mary Renault adopted her pen name to keep her writing career separate from her nursing career.

2. She won a MGM prize worth $150,000 for her novel “Return to Night” in 1948.

3. Renault’s works have been praised for their sympathetic portrayal of homosexual love, which was groundbreaking at the time.

4. She moved to South Africa partly to escape the homophobic atmosphere of post-war Britain.

5. Renault never returned to live in England after moving to South Africa in 1948.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Mary Renault

1. “It is bitter to lose a friend to evil, before one loses him to death.”

2. “In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we love and what we hate seizes our mind in equal measure.”

3. “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”

4. “The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid.”

5. “All the best things in life are free. And it’s important never to lose sight of that. So look up at the sky. Be content with the simple things.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Renault’s exact net worth at the peak of her career is not well-documented, but she earned significant sums from her prize-winning novels and their continued popularity.