Frances Burney

Frances Burney (1752-1840) was an English novelist, playwright, and satirist. Born in Lynn Regis, England, Burney was the third child of six and began writing at the age of ten. In 1778, Burney published Evelina, her first novel, anoymously. Despite her attempts to conceal her identity--which stemmed from a fear of social condemnation as an upper-class woman--her family and friends soon identified Burney as the author of Evelina, for which she would receive critical acclaim and popularity. Following the success of her debut, Burney would write three more novels--Cecilia (1782); Camilla; Or, A Picture of Youth (1796); and The Wanderer; Or, Female Difficulties (1814)--all of which satirize the lives and social conventions of English aristocrats. Although she wrote plays throughout her career, she was dissuaded from having them performed by her father; Edwy and Elgiva, her only play to be produced, closed after one night due to poor audience reception. Regardless of the hostility she faced as a woman and professional writer, her works were widely read and received praise from such figures as Samuel Johnson, Edmund Burke, Jane Austen, and William Makepeace Thackeray.