Edith Nesbit is one of the world’s most important writers. She has entertained and inspired generations of us. She put the best of herself into her books for children. Some of her closest friendships were with her young fans and she often wrote them into her stories. A strikingly attractive woman with a keen sense of fun, she attracted a circle of admirers who left fascinating accounts of her in their letters and memoirs. As Marcus Crouch points out, “no writer for children today is free of debt to this remarkable woman”. CS Lewis borrowed his wardrobe from one of her stories. JK Rowling identifies with her more than any other writer.
