Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin was born in Berkeley, California in 1929, being the daughter of the anthropologist Alfred L. Kroeber and of writer Theodora Kroeber. In 1951, she got a B.A at Radcliffe College, and in 1952 a M.A. at Columbia University. In 1953, she married the historian Charles A. Le Guin. She had many teaching positions, including being an instructor in French, and being a Lecturer/Writer in many universities. 
Le Guin was famous for her many books, including her fantasy series "The Earthsea Cycle". The first book, A Wizard of Earthsea, won the Boston Globe-Horn Book award in 1968, as well as the Lewis Caroll Shelf Award. Other books in the series also won major awards, as well as her other, more adult-directed books. Even J.K. Rowling based some of her Harry Potter books off of Le Guin's stories, though she doesn't care to admit it. Up to her death, she still wrote stories, and had three children, and four grandchildren. She passed away in 2018.