Mary Elizabeth Braddon
- Chris Willis (London Metropolitan University)
Mary Elizabeth Braddon was one of Victorian England's best-loved writers, as well as being one of the most prolific. Her phenomenal output included over 80 novels, 5 plays and numerous poems and short stories
Born in London in 1835 (a date she later sometimes gave as 1837), she inherited her literary talent from her parents, Henry and Fanny, who wrote articles for Pitman's Sporting Magazine. Henry's writing supplemented his other income – he was an unsuccessful solicitor who hovered perpetually on the brink of bankruptcy. In 1840 Fanny and Henry separated and Braddon stayed with her mother. In the 1850s, Henry's financial failures left the family penniless. To support her mother and sister, Braddon embarked on a ca
Citation:
Willis, Chris. "Mary Elizabeth Braddon".
The Literary Encyclopedia. first published 28 March 2001
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5053, accessed 03 September 2010.]