Georgiana Marion Craik was an English writer of the Victorian era, born in Old Brompton, London, to George Lillie Craik and Jeanette Dempster. She began her literary career by contributing to the periodical Household Words, possibly starting as early as 1851. Her debut novel, Riverston, was published in 1857, marking the beginning of a career dedicated largely to writing fiction targeted at young women and books for younger readers. In 1886, she married the artist Allan Walter May. Between 1879 and 1882, Craik lived in West London with her sister Mary and their friend Hannah Winnard. During these years, their household became a warm, welcoming second home for a young Rudyard Kipling while he attended the United Services College. Kipling later recalled the household with great affection, describing it as a place filled with books, peace, and kindliness, and remembering Craik herself sitting by the fireside writing novels on her knee. Craik continued her literary pursuits until her death in St Leonards-on-Sea in 1895 at the age of 64.
