Margaret Mitchell ​

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was an American author known for writing one of the most popular books in American fiction, "Gone with the Wind." For this novel, she won the National Book Award for Most Distinguished Novel of 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. "Gone with the Wind" was also adapted into an iconic film in 1939.

Quick Facts ​

• Her novel, "Gone with the Wind", won the National Book Award for Most Distinguished Novel of 1936.
• The movie adaptation of her novel won an Academy Award in 1939.
• Although she intended to write a sequel, she died before it could be written.
• She has been inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame.
• Only wrote one novel in her lifetime, but it sold over 30 million copies.

Background ​

Mitchell was born in 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia, into a wealthy and politically prominent family. She attended Washington Seminary, then transferred to Smith College in 1918. However, she had to leave school early to return home when her mother fell ill. Following her mother's death, she decided not to return to school, remaining instead in Atlanta where she started working as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal. She wrote Gone with the Wind over a decade-long period, mostly during a period of convalescence. It was published in 1936 and won the Pulitzer Prize in literature. The book was also adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1939. She died in 1949 at the age of 48.

Writing Style and Impact ​

Mitchell's writing style is characterized by vivid descriptions and a strongly developed sense of place. Her best-known work, 'Gone with the Wind', is a sweeping historical epic that covers the Civil War and Reconstruction periods in the American South, using these events as a backdrop for an intense and memorable love story. Despite criticism for its portrayal of racial issues, Mitchell’s work remains popular and influential, and has been credited with shaping the modern genre of historical fiction.

Notable Works ​

• Gone with the Wind (1936)