Novelist Anthony Hope-Hawkins was born in London, England on February 9, 1863. After attending Marlborough College and Balliol College, he became a lawyer and wrote short stories. The Prisoner of Zenda, his best-known work, was published in 1894. Due to the book's success, he became a full-time writer. During World War I, he worked for the Ministry of Information to counteract German propaganda. He was knighted for his efforts in 1918. He died of throat cancer in Surrey, England on July 8, 1933.