Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and the literary spouse

When Steinbeck was stumped for a title for his novel, his wife saved the day. Literary history is full of marital interventions, but what's your favourite example of writers wedded to their inspiration?

The 75th anniversary of the publication of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath on Monday April 14 is a reminder of the potentially key role of literary spouses. Steinbeck didn't like his own ideas for the title, so when his wife Carol proposed a phrase from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" he adopted it at once.

This set us thinking about the impact of other partners on the history of literature. As the following examples show, though usually either dismissed as humble help­meets or complained about as posthumous image-protectors, they can sometimes decisively shape a book or career.

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