Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an influential English writer who played a pivotal role in modernist literature with her use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London to a prominent family, Woolf was largely educated at home in her father's extensive library. She started writing professionally in 1900, and in 1912 she married Leonard Woolf, a political theorist and author. They founded the Hogarth Press in 1917, which published much of Woolf's work and that of other modernist writers. Woolf's narrative style is characterized by her lyrical prose and her exploration of the inner lives of her characters, often focusing on the complexities of time and memory. Among her most notable novels are 'Mrs. Dalloway' (1925), 'To the Lighthouse' (1927), and 'Orlando' (1928). Woolf's 'The Collected Essays of Virginia Woolf,' which gathers many of her non-fiction writings, showcases her sharp insight into literature, human behavior, and social issues. A pioneering feminist, she also addressed issues of gender and sexuality, most famously in her extended essay 'A Room of One's Own' (1929). Sadly, Woolf's life was marked by mental health issues, and she died by suicide in 1941. Nevertheless, her literary achievements continue to inspire and influence writers and readers around the world.