Mary Lamb

Born in London in 1764, Mary Lamb was an English writer remembered above all for the books she created with her brother Charles Lamb. Their best-known work, Tales from Shakespeare (1807), retold Shakespeare's plays in clear, accessible prose for younger readers and stayed popular for generations.

Mary was part of a lively literary circle and wrote with wit, intelligence, and warmth. She contributed to several joint projects with Charles, and their partnership became one of the most distinctive brother-sister collaborations in English literature.

Her life was also shaped by severe episodes of mental illness. In 1796, during one of those crises, she killed her mother, after which Charles took on a lifelong role in caring for her. Mary Lamb died in 1847, and she is remembered today both for her resilience and for the enduring charm of her writing.