Celebrate Mary Shelley by diving into these 10 fascinating facts about the brilliant mind behind Frankenstein!
10 Facts about Mary Shelley
- Mary Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on 30 August 1797, in Somers Town, London, England. She was the daughter of feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft and political philosopher William Godwin.
- Mary Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, died just 10 days after giving birth to her. This had a profound impact on Mary’s life and writing, as she grew up with a sense of loss and an interest in exploring themes of death and resurrection in her works.
- Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein when she was just 18 years old, while on vacation in Switzerland with her future husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and their friend Lord Byron.
- Frankenstein was not Mary Shelley’s first published work. She had previously written a short story called “The Mortal Immortal”, which was published anonymously in a literary annual in 1833.
- Mary Shelley was a prolific writer who published numerous novels, short stories, and essays throughout her life. Some of her other notable works include The Last Man, Mathilda, and Lodore.
- Mary Shelley was a supporter of women’s rights and advocated for social reform throughout her life. She was particularly interested in improving education for women and believed that women should have the same opportunities as men.
- Mary Shelley’s husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, was also a writer and poet. The two had a tumultuous relationship that was complicated by Percy’s ongoing affairs and his tragic death in a boating accident in 1822.
- After Percy’s death, Mary Shelley continued to write and publish, but she struggled financially and had to rely on the support of friends and family to survive. She also suffered from poor health throughout her life and died of a brain tumor in 1851 at the age of 53.
- Mary Shelley’s legacy as a writer has endured long after her death, with Frankenstein becoming one of the most famous and enduring works of English literature. She is buried in the graveyard at St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth.
- Despite her enduring fame, Mary Shelley was not widely recognised as a significant writer during her lifetime. It was only in the 20th century that her contributions to literature were fully recognised, and she is now considered one of the most important writers of the Romantic era.
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