Writer. Lucy Aikin was born into a prominent family. Her father was a physician, and her aunt was the widely acclaimed poet Anna Laetitia Barbauld. Aikin lived with her family in Great Yarmouth and was educated by her aunt, who developed her passion for literature. She was very well-read and began publishing in magazines when she was just 17 years old. In 1801, she published her first poetry collection, "Poetry for Children." Three years later, she translated Louis Francois Jauffret's "The Travels of Rolando." In 1810, she published her first major work, "Epistles on Women," which was well received. The following year, she published "Juvenile Correspondence or Letters for Children." In 1814, she published "Lorimer, a Tale." However, it was her next work, "Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth" (1818), that established her reputation as a writer. Her book was widely successful, reprinted in England and America, and translated into French shortly after publication. Her other two works, "Memoirs of the Court of James I" (1822) and "Memoirs of the Court of Charles I" (1833), were also widely successful. Following her father's death in 1822, she focused on writing his biography, which was published the following year. Following the death of her aunt in 1825, she undertook a massive project editing her works, which were published the same year. In 1827, she published "The Life of Anne Boleyn," and in 1828, she published a collection of stories for children. During this time, she also maintained correspondence with many distinguished persons of society, including the reverend William Ellery Channing, until his death in 1842. In 1858, she published a collection of holiday stories for children. After a long and very successful career, Lucy Aikin died in 1864. Her niece, Anna Letitia Le Breton, continued her literary legacy and published Aikin's "Memoirs, Miscellanies, and Letters" just as Aikin had done for her own aunt.