Harper Lee

Author of the bestseller-turned-Oscar-winning film To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), she won a Pulitzer for the novel in 1961. The story includes many of her childhood experiences with her brother and her childhood friend Truman Capote, and has become a recognized classic. In 1962, it was made into a film starring Gregory Peck, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the defense lawyer Atticus Finch, and featured Robert Duvall in one of his first notable parts.