How a failed spy became the first Englishwoman to earn her living by writing.

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Aphra Behn was a government agent in the 1660s, but when her mission in the Netherlands collapsed and left her penniless, she turned to the stage to avoid debtors' prison. She became a literary sensation, pioneering professional writing for women in an era that viewed such public work as scandalous.

Born around 1640, likely the daughter of a barber and a wet nurse, Behn’s early life remains shrouded in mystery, partly due to her own efforts to obscure her origins. Her path to prominence began in the 1660s when she served as a spy for Charles II, operating under the codename Astrea. The mission, which involved recruiting a soldier named William Scot in the Netherlands, failed due to inadequate funding and the spy's lack of experience. Left with no resources and facing the threat of imprisonment for debt, Behn pivoted to a career that was then considered highly discreditable for women: professional authorship.

The Restoration era provided a unique, if turbulent, backdrop for her rise. Following the Interregnum, the reopening of theaters in 1660 allowed Behn to channel her wit into bawdy, commercially successful plays like The Forc’d Marriage (1670) and The Rover (1677). She became a prolific figure, second only to John Dryden in output, and gained the patronage of figures like the Duke of Buckingham. Her work was characterized by a frank, often ironic exploration of gender, sexuality, and the social constraints placed on women, which earned her both immense popularity and sharp criticism from contemporaries like Alexander Pope.

Despite her success, Behn faced persistent misogyny. Critics frequently dismissed her as a hack or a moral disgrace, labeling her writing as smutty. It was not until the late 19th century that her legacy was reclaimed, most notably by Virginia Woolf, who credited Behn with earning women the right to speak their minds. Today, works like her 1688 novel Oroonoko are recognized for their early engagement with themes of slavery and race, cementing her status as a foundational figure who paved the way for future female writers.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Susanna Centlivre was the eighteenth century's most successful female playwright, yet history nearly forgot her.
• Jane Austen’s first published novel began as a private experiment in letter-writing
• Anne Bradstreet was the first published poet in England's North American colonies.
• The 17th-century polyglot who wrote England's first original play by a woman
• The shy observer who secretly invented the modern novel of manners
• How French monarchs used land grants to prevent civil war and manage royal power
• The Bohemian Journalist Who Penned the Libretto for Verdi's Iconic Masterpiece Aida
• Arabic has two words for nationalism, and they pull in opposite directions
• The Spanish dramatist whose plays became the foundation for Verdi's most famous operas
• The arabesque was designed to run on past its frame
• Artaud's meningitis diagnosis at five was probably wrong
• Arabic maqam is a complex system of melodic modes that transcends Western musical scales.

More in Writers · More in Ideas & Philosophy · Latest · A–Z · All topics