Centenary of Mark Twain’s death

Yesterday, April 21st, marked 100 years since the death of Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens.

"I am not an American," Twain once said. "I am the American." Few would disagree. Faulkner called him "the father of American literature". The photo above shows Twain working in his outdoor octagonal study in Elmira in upstate New York. From here he wrote many of his most famous works, including Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Prince and the Pauper, among others.

A number of new biographies and critical reviews about Twain have been published to celebrate the centenary; the Financial Times has a review of five of them here. There are also events being held around the country all year.