George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), was born in Dublin, Ireland. As a boy, he hated school. Aged twenty, he moved to London, England, writing articles on music, art and theatre for different publications. He disagreed with the ‘art for art’s sake’ movement supported by writers like Oscar Wilde. For Shaw, a great work of art should teach a lesson.

In 1881, Shaw became a vegetarian, initially because vegetables were cheaper than meat. After his playwriting took off in the 1890s, he became a full-time playwright. Shaw wrote over sixty plays. In 1925, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.