Mary Ann Lamb English writer, sister and co-author of Charles Lamb Date of Birth: 03.12.1764 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Mary Ann Lamb
2. The Shakespeare Tales and Other Works
3. Personal Life and Tragic Events
4. Later Life and Death

Biography of Mary Ann Lamb

Mary Ann Lamb was an English writer, sister, and collaborator of Charles Lamb. She was born in 1764 and lived a tumultuous life marked by periods of mental illness.

The Shakespeare Tales and Other Works

In 1807, Mary Ann and Charles worked together on a children's book called "Tales from Shakespeare." This book was a collection of prose retellings of Shakespeare's plays, adapted for young readers. It became very successful, and they went on to write several other popular works for children.

Mary Ann also published her own work, "Mrs Leicester's School," which was praised by poet Samuel Coleridge as one of the "greatest gems in the treasure chest of English literature." This book, consisting of stories about orphaned girls who had lost their mothers, allowed Mary Ann Lamb to share her personal experiences of grief and guilt with readers. Although "Mrs Leicester's School" received excellent critical reviews and sold well, it did not survive beyond its time. However, "Tales from Shakespeare" continues to be published to this day. The book was first published by William Godwin and his second wife, Mary Jane Godwin.

Personal Life and Tragic Events

At the age of 32, in 1796, Mary Ann, burdened with the responsibility of caring for her family, experienced a bout of insanity and tragically killed her mother with a kitchen knife. As a result, she was placed under constant supervision. After their elderly father passed away, Mary Ann's younger brother Charles became her official guardian, and they lived together.

In 1823, Mary Ann and Charles met a 22-year-old orphan named Emma Isola and took her into their home. Ten years later, Emma married Edward Moxon, Charles's publisher.

Despite her ongoing struggles with mental illness, Mary Ann and her brother were at the center of literary and artistic life in London. They entertained many theater and literary luminaries in their salon. Among these famous figures was Samuel Coleridge, who recognized Mary Ann's sensitivity and compassion, which were key characteristics of her writing during periods when she was free from symptoms of her bipolar disorder, which she bravely fought against.

Later Life and Death

Although contemporaries believed that Mary Ann would die before her brother, Charles passed away first. He died in 1834 from complications of an infection caused by a fall down the stairs. Biographers find irony in the fact that Charles, Mary Ann's official guardian, relied on her so heavily, and yet after his death, she grew weaker and was repeatedly admitted to asylums by her family.

Mary Ann Lamb died on May 20, 1847, outliving her brother by 12 years, and was buried next to him in Edmonton. She has been depicted as the main character in Peter Ackroyd's novel "The Lambs of London" (2004). In recent years, British writer Kathy Watson's biography "The Devil Kissed Her" explored Mary Ann's life and argued that she was the mastermind behind the "better half" of "Tales from Shakespeare," bringing her energy and skill to the project.