Anna Sewell

Anna Sewell was born on 30 March 1820, in Norfolk, England. Her father's unstable employment meant constant financial strain and family relocations. Anna was schooled at home by her mother, who took her children's education, both academic and spiritual, very seriously.

When she was fourteen, she had a terrible fall while walking back from school and injured her ankles. She never regained the full use of her legs.

Between 1871 and 1877, she wrote her only novel, Black Beauty, often having to rely on her mother to transcribe the words. The novel was published in November 1877. Just five months later, having briefly experienced the enormous success of her debut book, Anna Sewell died on 25 April 1878.