Author. Carroll was the third child born to a family of eleven children. From a very early age he entertained himself and his family by performing magic tricks and marionette shows, and by writing poetry for his homemade newspapers. In 1846 he entered Rugby School, and in 1854 he graduated from Christ Church College, Oxford. He was successful in his study of mathematics and writing, and remained at the college after graduation to teach. His mathematical writings include An Elementary Treatise on Determinants, Euclid and His Modern. While teaching, Carroll was ordained as a deacon; however, he never preached. He also began to pursue photography, often choosing children as the subject of his portraits. One of his favorite models was a young girl named Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean at Christ’s Church, who later became the basis for his fictional character, Alice. He abandoned both photography and public speaking between 1880 and 1881, and focused on his writing. He primarily wrote comic fantasies and humorous verse that was often very childlike. He published his novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” in 1865, followed by “Through the Looking Glass” in 1872. He never married and died suddenly of pneumonia. (bio by: Jelena)