Young Grandison, Volume 1

What it is

This is the first volume of Young Grandison, a series of letters for young people originally written in Dutch by Madame de Cambon. Mary Wollstonecraft translated and adapted the work into English, with alterations and improvements, and it was printed in London in 1790 for publisher J. Johnson.

Why it matters

Before she became known for her writing on women's rights, Wollstonecraft worked as a translator and editor to earn a living. This book shows her early career in the publishing world, translating educational and moral literature for young readers, and her connection to the publisher J. Johnson who supported much of her later work.

Look closer

• What does the book's preface say about the purpose of this kind of writing for young people?
• Why might Wollstonecraft have chosen or been asked to translate this particular book?
• How might translating conduct literature for children have shaped her later ideas about education, explored in her own writing?