Ouida

Born in Bury St Edmunds as Maria Louise Ramé, she wrote under the pen name Ouida and became one of the most popular English novelists of the late 19th century. Her books often mixed romance, adventure, and satire, and they were known for their strong style and emotional intensity.

Her success was enormous in the 1860s and 1870s, especially with novels such as Under Two Flags, and she later settled in Italy. Alongside society fiction, she also wrote stories for younger readers, including A Dog of Flanders, which remained widely loved long after her lifetime.

Ouida was also a passionate essayist and critic who spoke out on social and political issues, including the treatment of animals and the effects of modern society on ordinary lives. Although her fame faded after her death in 1908, her work still offers a lively window into Victorian taste, ambition, and feeling.