Black Beauty

Where it came from

Anna Sewell (1820-78) only wrote one book, Black Beauty, completing it just before she died. Horses were the primary means of transport at this time, and when she was young, she learned to ride horses, but as a teenager she had an accident which meant she had to use horse-drawn carriages, like the one Black Beauty draws, to get everywhere. She was inspired by these experiences, and an essay on the treatment of animals by Horace Bushnell, to write the book. She wanted to create ‘kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses,’ during the Victorian age, which often treated animals very cruelly.

Where it went next

Black Beauty was hugely popular when it was first published and is one of the bestselling books of all time, selling at least fifty million copies. The book was successful in changing people’s attitudes towards horses and animals, and Sewell’s compassionate message contributed to the end of painful practices like ‘bearing rein’ to keep a horse’s head upright. Black Beauty has also been adapted for film and TV many times, including a silent film in 1917. It was also made into a play in 2011 written by James Stone.

Associated stories

Many other stories have since been told in the voice of the animal hero, including The Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London, Watership Down (1972) by Richard Adams and War Horse (1982) by Michael Morpurgo.