Elizabeth Hervey (née March 1749–1820) is a little-known novelist today, yet she published six novels between 1788 and 1814, four of which had French editions and three of which had second English editions in her lifetime. A further two novels are known to have circulated in manuscript but were never published. A wealthy independent widow after 1781, with very wide social and literary connections, soon Hervey was associated with both the radical poet Della Crusca (Robert Merry) and the Strawberry Hill and Bluestocking Circles. Known today largely for her connection with her half-brother William Beckford, Hervey’s as yet unpublished journals (1792–1820) reveal her as far more significant than this. She was intelligent, well-educated, and widely read, with an extensive social and intellectual circle. The journals describe her novel writing and publishing, her two fashionable picturesque tours at home and lengthy travels in Europe. They also recount her social life, innovative decorating skills at her London town house and country villa, and enthusiasm for practical gardening and design.