Bram Stoker

Abraham "Bram" Stoker (November 8, 1847 – April 20, 1912) is the author of the horror classic Dracula. He was born in Dublin on November 8, 1847. He moved to London where he became involved in the theatre: he worked closely with Henry Irving, the great American actor, and ran the Lyceum Theatre which can still be seen just off the Strand.

Contrary to popular belief, Stoker did not invent the concept of the vampire - he instead drew on Gothic novels of the early 19th century and European folklore he had spent eight years researching prior to writing the novel. His other works on the supernatural gained little publicity and were essentially failures.

Bram Stoker had a fascination with the occult, and was rumored to be part of a "magical order", the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Much of Dracula reflects Stoker's obsession with the supernatural, and implies that God is powerless over it.

Stoker died on April 20, 1912, and was cremated. His ashes are displayed at Golders Green crematorium in London. In Whitby, where much of Dracula is set, there is a commemorative seat overlooking the harbour named in his memory.