2.5 Literature & Genres

Biography

George Carver

A biography is a book written by an author about someone else’s life. It is based on research and facts about this person. Usually it tells the life story of this person.  An unauthorised biography means that the person did not agree to have their life story written by this author. Biographies are usually written about famous people or people involved in well-known events in history.

Here is an example of a biography called George Washington Carver: An Innovative Life by Canadian writer Elizabeth MacLeod.

This book will give you interesting facts about George Washington Carver (1864-1943). He’s known as the “peanut scientist” because he created more than 325 products from peanuts. His inventions and research impacted the lives of everyday people and particularly farmers. He made breakthroughs in farming that helped  many Black farmers in the southern United States.

If someone writes about their own personal life story, this is called an autobiography. Both biographies and autobiographies are nonfiction.

Go to your Short Story Journal and do Journal #7: Who Do You Admire?