Mann grew up in Norwich in a wealthy and literate
middle-class family. However, at the age of 23 in 1871 she
married Fairman Mann and moved to Church Farm in the
village. The couple later moved to Shropham Manor. The
transition from town to country affected her greatly and was
to prove hugely influential in her writing. Mann is
sometimes referred to as 'Thomas Hardy's Norfolk cousin.'
One of her finest works was Fields of Dulditch (1902)
- a collection of short stories - often employing the
Norfolk dialect - in which
she details the hard realities of agricultural life during
the early years of the 20th century.
Mann's work has been neglected over the years but it is
currently undergoing a re-evaluation thanks to the
championing of it by the likes of Keith Skipper and local
author D.J. Taylor.
The Parish of Hilby (fictionalised version of
Shropham) has just been published by the Larks Press and
some of her stories have appeared in Dead Men Talking
- published by Black Dog Books and edited by D. J. Taylor.
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