Elizabeth Stevenson was born in London on 29 September 1810, the daughter of a Unitarian minister. After her mother`s early death, she was raised by an aunt who lived in Knutsford in Cheshire. In 1832, she married William Gaskell, also a Unitarian minister, and they settled in the industrial city of Manchester. Motherhood and the obligations of a minister`s wife kept her busy. However, the death of her only son inspired her to write her first novel, `Mary Barton`, which was published anonymously in 1848. It was an immediate success, winning the praise of Charles Dickens and Thomas Carlyle.

Dickens invited her to contribute to his magazine, `Household Words`, where her next major work, `Cranford`, appeared in 1853. `North and South` was published the following year. Gaskell`s work brought her many friends, including the novelist Charlotte Bronte. When Charlotte died in 1855, her father, Patrick Bronte, asked Gaskell to write her biography. The `Life of Charlotte Bronte` (1857) was written with admiration and covered a huge quantity of firsthand material with great narrative skill.

Gaskell died on 12 November 1865, leaving her longest work, `Wives and Daughters` incomplete.