Rebecca Author Du Maurier is a British author best known for her novel 'Rebecca', which was published in 1938 and later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1940. She was born in 1907 and wrote many other novels, short stories, and plays throughout her career. Her most famous works include 'Jamaica Inn' (1936), 'My Cousin Rachel' (1951), and 'The Birds' (1952). DAPHNE is the first name of Du Maurier, making it the correct answer to the crossword puzzle.