Widely regarded as the pioneer of the ‘lost world’ genre, Sir Henry Rider Haggard was born in Norfolk to Sir William Haggard and Ella Doveton on 22 June 1856. Eighth among ten siblings, he had to settle for an education from a grammar school as private education was expensive. He was sent to South Africa in 1875 to make a career for himself. It was during this time that he gathered extensive knowledge about the African continent, its varied culture, customs and its people. This later proved to be of immense help to him in his writing career. After spending seven years in Africa, Haggard returned to England in 1882. He married Marianna Louisa Margiston and together they had four children. King Solomon’s Mines came after Haggard had written several unsuccessful novels and a book on the political situation of Africa. Following the fame that came with King Solomon’s Mines, Haggard wrote several other successful novels like Allan Quatermain, She and Nada the Lily. He died on 14 May 1925 in London, at the age of 68.