Flora Annie Steel

Flora Annie Steel was a British writer born in 1847 in Sudbury, Middlesex. She is widely recognized for her work in collecting and retelling Indian folktales and fairytales. Steel moved to India in 1867 after marrying Henry William Steel, an officer in the Indian Civil Service. During her 22 years in India, she became deeply involved in the education of women and children and developed a keen interest in the local culture and folklore. Her most famous work, 'Tales of the Punjab,' is a significant collection of traditional Indian stories that she compiled and adapted for Western readers. Steel's work is notable for its vivid storytelling and cultural insight, capturing the essence of Indian folklore and making it accessible to a broader audience. Her contributions to folklore and literature are invaluable, as she helped preserve many traditional stories at a time when oral traditions were at risk of being lost.