Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Mary Elizabeth Braddon | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Braddon, circa 1875 | |
| Born | 4 October 1835 |
| Died | 4 February 1915 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genre | Sensation novels |
| Years active | 1860—1910 |
| Notable works | Lady Audley's Secret (1862) Aurora Floyd (1863) |
| Spouse | John Maxwell |
Mary Elizabeth Braddon (4 October 1835 – 4 February 1915) was an English popular novelist of the Victorian era. She is best known for her 1862 novel Lady Audley's Secret, which is considered one of the foundational examples of sensation fiction. She is known for her focus on bigamous relationships in her novels, as well as her illegitimate marriage to John Maxwell.
Aside from writing, Braddon worked as an actress for eight years as a way to support herself and her mother. After establishing herself as a successful writer, she worked as a magazine editor and publisher. Braddon founded the magazine Belgravia in 1866.
The Mary Elizabeth Braddon Association was established in 2014 to pay tribute to Braddon's life and work. Various dramatisations have been made of her novels.