You can purchase Bryne’s biography on Dido Elizabeth Belle HERE.

You can purchase Bryne’s biography on Mary Robinson HERE.

You can purchase Byrne’s latest novel, Six Weeks by the Sea, HERE.

Paula Bryne is a British author and literary critic. She has written several acclaimed and best-selling biographies, including her biographies on Dido Elizabeth Belle, Mary Robinson, and Jane Austen. She is also the founder and Chief Executive of ReLit, a charity dedicated to promoting literature for mental health. 

If you have not yet listened to ArtMuse’s two part episode on Dido Elizabeth Belle, which shares her full life-story, then we encourage you to listen as an accompanying episode to this interview. Season Three of ArtMuse, which explores the life-stories of artist models who were also performers in their own right, will kick off with a two part episode on Mary Robinson. This interview with Paula Byrne, which deep dives into Mary Robinson’s story, is the perfect teaser to ArtMuse's Season Three opener.

Dido Elizabeth Belle is considered to be England’s first female aristocrat of color. Dido was born to an enslaved mother and white father. As a child, she was brought from the Caribbean to England, and taken in by her great uncle, Lord Mansfield, who happened to be the most powerful judge in all of England. Dido was thus raised in his home, at Kenwood House, which today is a historical house and museum. As a judge, Lord Mansfield ruled over many important cases pertaining to slavery, and it is believed that Dido’s presence in his home influenced his sympathetic rulings that eventually paved the way for abolition in England. Dido was famously captured in a portrait by David Martin, a copy of which today hangs at Kenwood House in honor of her.

Mary Robinson was an 18th century British actress, poet, writer, activist, and intellectual. During her days as a leading actress on Drury Lane, Mary famously caught the eye of the Prince of Wales, whom she had an affair with. Later in life, after a tragic accident that took away her ability to walk, Mary Robinson shifted courses, and became a prolific writer. In her long writing career, Mary wrote several novels, collections of poems, plays, and published essays. Much of her writing was radical by nature and advocated for both women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. In her lifetime, Mary was painted by the renowned portraitists Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, and John Hoppner. 

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ArtMuse is produced by Kula Production Company.

Today’s episode was written by host Grace Anna.

There are accompanying images, resources and suggestions for further reading on the ArtMuse website and Instagram. 

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