About Joan Samson
Lived 1937 – 1976 (aged 38). Joan Samson was an American writer and teacher.
Joan Samson (September 9, 1937 – February 27, 1976) was an American writer. Her only published novel was The Auctioneer, published briefly before she died of brain cancer.
The Auctioneer, published in 1976 is described as a story that borders on horror, a story about how a community is torn apart by a single person. It has been translated to Spanish (editorial Ultramar-Spain, and editorial Emecé-Argentina, both in 1977), Dutch, Italian and recently to Catalan, Polish and French. It is considered one of the best-selling horror novels of the 1970s, selling over a million copies.
Works
Watching the New Baby (1974) The Auctioneer (New York: Simon and Schuster), 1976; Valancourt, 2020
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Joan Samson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Joan Samson?
writer
When was Joan Samson born?
Joan Samson was born on 9 September 1937 in Pennsylvania.
When did Joan Samson die?
Joan Samson died on 27 February 1976 in Cambridge.
What was Joan Samson's occupation?
Joan Samson was a writer and teacher.
What nationality was Joan Samson?
Joan Samson was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joan Samson. https://biography.guide/joan-samson/
MLA: "Joan Samson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joan-samson/.
Chicago: "Joan Samson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joan-samson/.
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