Having written one of the most beloved novels of all time, "To Kill a Mockingbird" author Harper Lee has passed away at the age of 89. Here are 5 things you need to know about the legendary novelist:
1. Her novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", which was published in 1960, won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. Unfortunately Conrad Richter beat her out for the National Book Award with "The Waters of Kronos." Her debut novel gave her an advance of $1000 plus 15 per cent of royalties. Lee assumed that no one would read her book but it spent 98 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and earned her a profile in Life magazine, and not to mention immense acclaim and worldwide recognition.
2. The author went by her middle name which is Harper, because she was afraid that her first name, Nelle, would be mispronounced as "Nelly" and not "Nell," as cited by dna.com.
3. Lee and actor Gregory Peck, who played the role of Atticus, became friends during the filming of the movie adaptation of "To Kill a Mockingbird." She remained close to the actor and his family, especially Peck's grandson Harper Peck Voll, who was named after her.
4. Most of the characters in her novel were based on real-life people. Dill was based on Lee's childhood friend Truman Capote whom she remained friends with and became her research assistant and travel buddy. Capote used her as a basis for a character in his "Other Voices, Other Rooms." In addition, the character of Atticus was based on Lee's father.
5. In her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, a museum dedicated to "To Kill a Mockingbird" was built, but Lee later on filed a lawsuit claiming that the place was selling unlicensed merchandise such as beverage coasters.
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