Anna Sewell

Anna Sewell was born in 1820 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, into a devoutly Quaker family. Her mother, Mary Wright Sewell, was a successful author of children's books and moral tales. At the age of fourteen, Anna suffered a fall that severely injured her ankles, leaving her increasingly dependent on horse-drawn carriages for mobility throughout her life. This intimate daily reliance on horses gave her both a deep knowledge of their care and handling and a profound empathy for their suffering. She spent much of her adult life as an invalid, and it was during the last years of her life, largely confined to her home, that she dictated Black Beauty to her mother over a period of several years. This author hub collects 1 work in the Canon Compass ranking, led by Black Beauty.