Novelist and playwright Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was born in Manchester, England. Her family owned a successful ironmongery and brass good business, but tragedy struck when her father died in 1852. Struggling to make ends meet, her mother eventually moved the family to New Market, Tennessee in pursuit of better things. A gifted writer since childhood, Burnett took to writing as a means of supporting her family, churning out stories for Lady's Book, Harper's Bazaar and other magazines. She married Swan Burnett in 1872, and the couple had two much-beloved sons. Burnett wrote throughout her life, publishing several novels and plays, most notably Little Lord Fauntleroy (1885-1886), A Little Princess (1905) and The Secret Garden (1911).

Judith John (glossary) is a writer and editor specializing in literature and history. She has worked as an editor on major educational projects, including English A: Literature for the Pearson International Baccalaureate series. Judith's major research interests include Romantic and Gothic literature, and Renaissance drama.