Ouida

Ouida was the pen name of Maria Louise Ramé, an English novelist born in Bury St Edmunds in 1839. She wrote more than 40 novels, along with short stories, children’s books, and essays, and became known for her imaginative style, glamorous settings, and sympathy for outsiders.

Her novel Under Two Flags (1867), set partly in Algeria, was one of her greatest successes and was adapted for the stage and screen several times. Ouida later lived in Italy, where she continued writing and became a distinctive figure in literary and artistic circles. She died in Viareggio in 1908.