Ann Ward Radcliffe

Ann Radcliffe (née Ward; 1764–1823) was an English author best known for pioneering the Gothic novel genre with works like *The Mysteries of Udolpho* (1794) and *The Italian* (1797). Born in London to a middle-class family, she married journalist William Radcliffe in 1787 and published her first novels anonymously before gaining fame and fortune as one of the most popular writers of her era.[1][2][4]