An English Spy-Writer: Aphra Behn

Born in 1640 in Kent, England, Aphra Behn was an English dramatist, fiction writer, and poet. She was the first English woman who earned her living by writing. She was not only a writer but also a spy of King Charles II. The earlier life of Aphra Behn is quite obscure and it is said that she intentionally obscured it, maybe because of her role as a spy. Little is known about her and not all sources align with each other, some sources say her father was a butcher and some sources say she was the daughter of a barber. Aphra Behn lived during the chaos of the English Civil War, an era where social order became shaky and gender roles kind of turned upside down. Women were walking down the streets carrying their weapons and shooting Irish Rebels while some male reformers were preaching free love. With this somewhat radical change, some women started to serve as spies and Aphra Behn was one of them. 

Behn become quite famous due to her intelligence and talent and her praise reached the ears of King Charles II. King Charles II assigned Aphra Behn as a spy and sent her to Antwerp, Netherlands to gather information on his enemies of Stuart. When she returned, she had to stay in debtor's prison because she wasn't awarded for her role as a spy from King Charles II. After her imprisonment, she began to write in order to earn money and thus became the first English woman who earned her living by writing. Among her works, her fiction is the most read one, particularly the novel called Oroonoko. She was a prolific writer who paved the way for many female dramatists.