Anna Sewell

Born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 1820, Anna Sewell grew up in a devout Quaker family. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful writer of books for young readers, and Anna helped edit her work from an early age. Sewell later lived with her family in several parts of England and remained closely tied to them throughout her life.

A serious injury when she was young left her with lasting health problems, and much of her adult life was marked by illness. That experience, along with the years she spent depending on horse-drawn travel, helped deepen her understanding of horses and the way people treated them. She is often described as having written with a clear moral purpose as well as a storyteller’s warmth.

Sewell’s only published book, Black Beauty, appeared in 1877, just months before her death in 1878. Told from a horse’s point of view, the novel was written to encourage kindness and better treatment of animals. It became a classic and remains the work for which she is remembered.