Best known work

• Black Beauty, 1877

Genres

• Fiction - Novels

Nom de plume

None

Social class

Middle class

Parental background

Her parents were Quakers, her father worked as a draper (later as a banker) and her mother as a writer. She was educated at home until the age of 12 and then attended a day school.

At publication of best known work

• Age: 57
• Marital status: Unmarried
• Number of children: 0

Physical description

No written descriptions of Sewell's appearance have been traced to date.

Did you know?

Sewell slipped and hurt both ankles aged about fourteen, causing mobility problems for the rest of her life. She was often transported by horse and carriage, which may have inspired her to write about horses. During the time she wrote Black Beauty she was house-bound and largely confined to her sofa. She died five months after the book's publication.

Additional information

A biography of Sewell's life and some examples of the many book covers of Black Beauty can be found.