Frances Burney

Overview 

Frances Burney or sometimes, otherwise known affectionately as Fanny, was born in King’s Lynn, England on the 13 June 1752. Considered slow and backward by her father, Frances was a spirited and eager child, even despite a somewhat cruel stepmother to contend with on top of her fathers lowly opinion of her potential. Self-educated and keen to prove herself, Frances begun to write as much as she could. Barbed insults from her step mother regarding her wishes to write, and how unladylike such pursuits were, led an upset Frances to burn her work she had toiled away on up to that point. Rewriting her favorite she had held in her memory, at age 23, that story was published, and at last, with the release of this book Evelina, published anonymously, Frances had won her fathers approval. He was quick to apologize and recognize his daughters achievement and intelligence, and creativity. Frances was a clever writer, often exploring and satirizing wealth, status and society, and raising themes on such things as the politics of female identity. 
 
All in all, Frances’s works include four novels (including Cecilia, Camilla and The Wanderer), eight plays, one biography and twenty volumes of journals and letters. She inspired was admired by many other great and famous literary persons, such as Dr Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, Hester Thrale and David Garrick.