Felicia Skene (1821-1899) was a Scottish writer and social reformer. Born in France, she moved with her parents to Edinburgh. Felicia’s mother was a daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo; her father, diplomat and lawyer James Skene, was a close friend of Sir Walter Scott; Felicia could recall telling Sir Walter fairy stories, and playing with the children of exiled King Charles X of France. In 1838, the family took up residence in Athens, hoping to benefit her mother’s health, and five years later Felicia published some poetry inspired by Greece, the beginning of an active writing career that included poetry, novels and non-fiction. After returning to England in 1845, Felicia lived at Leamington and then Oxford, where she was active in recruiting nurses during an outbreak of cholera; this brought her into friendship with Florence Nightingale, with whom she corresponded. She was appointed as a visitor to Oxford Prison, and was active in prison reform and in reclamation for tramps and prostitutes.