I am Mary Robinson, I was an English actress, poet, dramatist, novelist, and celebrity figure. I lived in England, in the cities of Bristol and London; I also lived in France and Germany for a time. I enjoyed poetry from the age of seven and started working, first as a teacher and then as actress, from the age of 14. I wrote many plays, poems and novels. I was a celebrity, gossiped about in newspapers, famous for my acting and writing. During my lifetime, I was known as "the English Sappho". I earned my nickname "Perdita" for my role as Perdita (heroine of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale) in 1779. I was the first public mistress of King George IV while he was still Prince of Wales.