Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851) is best known for her Gothic horror story Frankenstein. Born in London in August 1797, Mary Shelley was the only daughter of the philosopher William Godwin and his wife Mary Wollstonecraft, the radical feminist writer. Tragically, her mother died almost immediately and Mary was brought up by her father and his second wife. Finding herself bereft of emotional attention, Mary spent much of her childhood reading, scribbling stories and day-dreaming. She later claimed that her favourite pastime was the ‘formation of castles in the air’ and it was one such waking dream that led to her most famous creation.
