Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was born in 1806 and wrote poetry from a very young age. A successful poet in her own lifetime, she was also an ardent campaigner to abolish slavery and child labour. A highly prolific author, she was a strong candidate for poet laureate, an honour which was ultimately given to Tennyson. Barrett Browning suffered ill-health for much of her life, and died in 1861 but her poetry has lived on and is highly regarded around the world.