Vladimir Nabokov was a highly acclaimed author, best known for his classic novel Lolita. Born in Russia in 1899, Nabokov came from a trilingual household and went on to study Slavic and romance languages at Trinity College, Cambridge. He began his writing career in Berlin and Paris, publishing his first nine novels in Russian under the pseudonym Vladimir Sirin.
In 1940, Nabokov relocated to the United States, where he became a citizen in 1945. It was during this time that he wrote Lolita, which became his most well-known work and showcased his detailed writing and intricate wordplay. The novel was ranked fourth in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels and brought Nabokov international prominence as a master English prose stylist.
Nabokov was not only a successful writer but also made significant contributions to lepidoptery and had a big interest in chess problems. His memoir, Speak, Memory, was listed eighth on the publisher's list of the 20th century's greatest nonfiction. He was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction seven times. Nabokov lived a solitary lifestyle in Switzerland until his death in 1977.