# Marie Corelli

> British writer (1855-1924)

**Wikidata**: [Q263254](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q263254)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Corelli)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/marie-corelli

## Summary

Marie Corelli (1855–1924) was a British writer, poet, and novelist who became one of the most popular and highest-paid authors of her era. Born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, she wrote numerous bestselling novels blending romance, mysticism, and social commentary, achieving unprecedented commercial success in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.

## Biography

- **Born**: May 1, 1855 (or January 1, 1855) — United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- **Died**: April 24, 1924 (or April 21, 1924) — United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- **Nationality**: British (citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland)
- **Full Name**: Marie Corelli (birth name: Mary Mackay; also known as Mary Corelli)
- **Education**: [Data not available]
- **Known for**: Bestselling novels, poetry, and literary mysticism; becoming one of the highest-paid writers of her time
- **Employer(s)**: [Data not available]
- **Field(s)**: Literature, Poetry, Novel Writing
- **Occupation**: Writer, Poet, Novelist

## Contributions

Marie Corelli was a prolific author who published numerous novels throughout her career. Her works often combined romantic narratives with elements of mysticism and spiritual themes. She achieved remarkable commercial success, becoming one of the best-selling authors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her novel "A Romance of Two Worlds" (1886) helped establish her reputation. Corelli's writing style blended fantasy, romance, and moral messaging, appealing to a wide Victorian and Edwardian readership. She was known for her flamboyant personality and her willingness to challenge conventional literary tastes.

## FAQs

**What was Marie Corelli's primary occupation?**
Marie Corelli was a British writer, poet, and novelist who achieved massive commercial success in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras.

**Where was Marie Corelli born and raised?**
Marie Corelli was born in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1855, though specific birthplace details are not available in the source material.

**What are some of Marie Corelli's notable works?**
Among her notable works is "A Romance of Two Worlds" (1886), which established her literary reputation. She wrote numerous novels throughout her career that combined romance, mysticism, and social commentary.

**How did Marie Corelli become successful as a writer?**
Corelli achieved unprecedented commercial success, becoming one of the highest-paid authors of her time through her bestselling novels that appealed to Victorian and Edwardian readers.

**What was Marie Corelli's full name?**
Her birth name was Mary Mackay, and she also published under the pen name Mary Corelli, though she is best known as Marie Corelli.

## Why They Matter

Marie Corelli mattered because she revolutionized the commercial landscape of late Victorian publishing. As one of the first authors to achieve true mass-market success, she demonstrated that literary fiction could reach enormous audiences and generate substantial profits. Her blend of romance, mysticism, and moral instruction influenced popular fiction trends. Corelli's success challenged traditional literary gatekeepers and paved the way for future bestselling authors. Her popularity was such that she became a cultural phenomenon, with her novels selling in quantities rivaled only by the Bible and works by Charles Dickens. The literary establishment often dismissed her work, but her influence on popular fiction and the publishing industry was undeniable.

## Notable For

- Being one of the best-selling authors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Achieving unprecedented commercial success as a female writer in a male-dominated field
- Publishing bestselling novels including "A Romance of Two Worlds" (1886)
- Combining romantic narratives with mystical and spiritual themes
- Becoming one of the highest-paid writers of her era
- Writing under the pen name Marie Corelli while her birth name was Mary Mackay

## Body

### Identity and Name

Marie Corelli was born Mary Mackay in 1855 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. She published under the pen name Marie Corelli and was also known as Mary Corelli. The decision to use a pen name rather than her birth name was not uncommon among writers of her era, particularly women, though the specific reasons for her choice are not detailed in the source material.

### Birth and Early Life

Marie Corelli was born in 1855, with conflicting sources indicating either May 1, 1855, or January 1, 1855, as her exact birth date. She was born into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the historical sovereign state that existed from 1801 to 1922, formed through the Acts of Union 1800. This state comprised the territories of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland, with a shared parliament and government based in London. Corelli's nationality was British, specifically that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during its existence.

### Literary Career and Field

Corelli worked primarily in the field of literature, specifically as a writer, poet, and novelist. Her field of work encompassed creative writing, with a particular focus on fiction that blended multiple genres. Poetry, as a literary style characterized by strong expressiveness of words, was part of her repertoire, though she was primarily known for her novels. Her work often employed rhythmic and expressive language to convey emotions, ideas, and experiences—a hallmark of poetic influence in prose fiction.

### Major Works and Publications

Corelli's literary output was substantial, with numerous novels published throughout her career. Her work "A Romance of Two Worlds" (1886) stands out as one of her early major publications that established her reputation. This novel exemplified her characteristic blend of romantic narrative with mystical and spiritual elements. Her novels typically combined entertainment value with moral messaging, appealing to the broad readership of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. The specific titles and publication dates of many of her works can be identified through her various Wikidata identifiers, including P2963 (corelli-marie-1855-1924, corelli-marie-1855-1924-criticism-and-interpretation) and other bibliographic references.

### Commercial Success and Recognition

Marie Corelli achieved remarkable commercial success as an author. She became one of the most popular writers of her era, with her novels selling in enormous quantities. This success translated into financial reward, as she became one of the highest-paid writers of her time—a significant achievement for any author, particularly for a woman in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the literary profession was predominantly male. Her popularity was such that she ranked among the best-selling authors of her period, alongside literary giants.

### Personal Life and Death

Marie Corelli passed away in 1924, with conflicting sources indicating either April 24, 1924, or April 21, 1924, as her exact date of death. By this time, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had been succeeded by the modern United Kingdom, as the Irish Free State was established in December 1922 following the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Her death marked the end of a literary career that had spanned several decades and had left an indelible mark on popular fiction.

### Legacy and Influence

Corelli's influence on the publishing industry and popular literature was significant. She demonstrated that literary fiction could achieve mass-market appeal and commercial success on a unprecedented scale. Her success challenged the literary establishment's monopoly on critical acclaim and financial reward. The formula she developed—combining romance, mysticism, and moral instruction—influenced subsequent popular fiction. Her career also paved the way for future female authors seeking commercial success in a male-dominated field.

### Cultural Significance

Marie Corelli represented a new type of author in the Victorian and Edwardian eras—one who achieved fame and fortune through popular appeal rather than critical endorsement. Her works reflected the tastes and values of a broad reading public, and her success indicated the growing democratization of literature in Britain. Despite often receiving poor reviews from critics, her popularity endured, and her novels continue to be studied as examples of late Victorian popular fiction.

### Bibliographic Identifiers

Marie Corelli is documented across numerous bibliographic and authority databases, including: Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) n50022509, Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) 44338017, Library of Congress Classification (LCC) PR4513, Dewey Decimal Classification 823.8, and multiple other identifiers across national libraries and bibliographic systems. These identifiers confirm her lasting presence in library collections and bibliographic records worldwide.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. BnF authorities
3. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English
4. Library of the World's Best Literature
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. CiNii Research
7. [Source](http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.corelli)
8. SNAC
9. Find a Grave
10. Internet Speculative Fiction Database
11. International Music Score Library Project
12. FemBio database
13. Babelio
14. A historical dictionary of British women
15. IMDb
16. [Source](https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-34742?rskey=VROQ9G&result=1)
17. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
18. Czech National Authority Database
19. [Source](https://www.bartleby.com/library/bios/index4.html)
20. CONOR.SI
21. LIBRIS. 2018
22. Catalogo of the National Library of India