--- description: Virginia Woolf's 136th birthday is celebrated with a Google Doodle illustration of the British author's profile. title: Today Is Virginia Woolf's 136th Birthday image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbe2ffe3999b109bd/6988f96922fb856302e247ca/virginia-woolfs-136th-birthday-5857012284915712-6-l.png?branch=production&width=828&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Today Is Virginia Woolf's 136th Birthday. Here's What You Should Know About Her ## Video: How Google Makes its Doodles [Watch (HLS stream): How Google Makes its Doodles](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/upF0qp1E.m3u8) (3:23)  _Published 2018-07-07. Our videographer went to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California to meet some of the designers and coders who create the special, clever variations on the Google.com logo known as_ by [Suyin Haynes](/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:38 AM CUTPublished: Jan 25, 2018 4:31 AM CUT  Google Doodle Google DoodleGoogle Doodle celebrates what would have been British novelist Virginia Woolf's 136th birthday by [Suyin Haynes](/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:38 AM CUTPublished: Jan 25, 2018 4:31 AM CUT Thursday’s Google Doodle celebrates British literary luminary [Virginia Woolf](https://www.google.com/doodles/virginia-woolfs-136th-birthday "undefined"), with a portrait to mark what would have been her 136th birthday. The author of [_Mrs Dalloway_](http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10/16/all-time-100-novels/slide/mrs-dalloway-1925-by-virginia-woolf/ "undefined"), [_To The Lighthouse_](http://entertainment.time.com/2005/10/16/all-time-100-novels/slide/to-the-lighthouse-1927-by-virginia-woolf/ "undefined")and _A Room of One’s Own_, Virginia Woolf’s life and work remains highly influential on the world of literature and beyond. Born on Jan. 25, 1882, Woolf’s early life was infused with creative connections, as both her parents were prominent figures in London’s literary and artistic circuits. Woolf, her husband Leonard and her sister, artist Vanessa Bell, would become core protagonists themselves in an intellectual circle known as the [Bloomsbury Group](http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/b/bloomsbury/lifestyle-lives-and-legacy-bloomsbury-group "undefined"); a collective of writers, artists, and thinkers who enjoyed their heyday during the first half of the 20th century. Virginia Woolf is regarded as one of the greatest authors of her time due to her exploration of modernism and feminist narratives, inspiring authors such as [Margaret Atwood](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/sep/07/classics.margaretatwood "undefined") and [Gabriel Garcí](http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/marquez-talk.html "undefined")[a Márquez](http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/marquez-talk.html "undefined"). While Woolf’s pioneering, stream-of-consciousness novels received critical acclaim during her lifetime, she was affected by recurring bouts of mental illness, and died by suicide in 1941\. As TIME’s [obituary of Woolf](http://time.com/vault/issue/1941-04-14/page/38/ "undefined") noted of her novels: --- > “” ---  English novelist and critic Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941). (Photo by George C Beresford/Getty Images) George C. Beresford—Getty Images The Google Doodle illustration for Woolf’s birthday was created by London-based illustrator [Louise Pomeroy](http://www.louisezpomeroy.com/ "undefined") and is reminiscent of a [well known photograph](http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-26869265 "undefined") of Woolf in 1902 that captured her serene, thoughtful profile. Woolf’s Doodle is also surrounded by falling autumn leaves, which were a recurring image in her work. In celebration of Woolf’s birthday, the New York Public Library shared a guide to her work on Twitter, and Londonist shared a map of the locations where Woolf’s novels take place. > [](https://twitter.com/nypl/status/956527111610740736) > [](https://twitter.com/Londonist/status/956513497810132993) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5117849/virginia-woolfs-136th-birthday/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5117849/virginia-woolfs-136th-birthday/"},"headline":"Today Is Virginia Woolf's 136th Birthday. 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