Beatrix Potter

"Beatrix Potter was a British writer, illustrator and conservationist who is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was her first commercially published work in 1902. Her books, including 23 Tales, have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. She was also a pioneer of character merchandising, creating the first patented stuffed toy of Peter Rabbit in 1903. She was born into an upper-middle-class family in London and educated by governesses. She developed a love of nature and animals from an early age and spent holidays in Scotland and the Lake District, where she drew and painted her observations. She also studied fungi and became respected in the field of mycology. In her thirties, she self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit after several rejections from publishers. She then began writing and illustrating children's books full-time, creating memorable characters such as Jemima Puddle-Duck, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Squirrel Nutkin and Benjamin Bunny. With the income from her books and a legacy from an aunt, she bought Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, a village in the Lake District, in 1905. She became a farmer and a breeder of Herdwick sheep, and also acquired several other farms to preserve the rural landscape. In 1913, she married William Heelis, a local solicitor, and settled in the Lake District. She continued to write and illustrate until her eyesight deteriorated. She died of pneumonia and heart disease in 1943 at her home in Near Sawrey. She left almost all her property, including over 4,000 acres of land and 14 farms, to the National Trust for conservation. Her books have been translated into many languages and adapted into films, ballets, animations and songs. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential children's authors of all time."