Mary Henrietta Kingsley (October 13, 1862 – June 3, 1900) was an English writer and explorer who greatly influenced European ideas about Africa and African people. Both of her parents died in 1892. Freed from her family responsibilities, Mary was now able to travel and she decided to visit Africa. Kingsley wrote two books about her experiences: Travels in West Africa (1897), which was an immediate best-seller, and West African Studies (1899).