Mary Norton (author)
| Mary Norton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kathleen Mary Pearson 10 December 1903 London, England, UK |
| Died | 29 August 1992 (aged 88) Bideford, Devon, UK |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Genres | Children's fantasy novels |
| Notable work(s) |
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| Notable award(s) | Carnegie Medal 1952 |
Mary Norton, or Kathleen Mary Norton née Pearson (10 December 1903 – 29 August 1992), was an English author of children's books.[1] She is best known for the The Borrowers series of low fantasy novels (1952 to 1982), which is named for its first book and, in turn, for the tiny people who live secretly in the midst of contemporary human civilisation.
Norton won the 1952 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising The Borrowers as the year's outstanding children's book by a British subject.[2] For the 70th anniversary of the Medal in 2007 it was named one of the top ten winning works, selected by a panel to compose the ballot for a public election of the all-time favourite.[3][a]
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Background [edit]
Kathleen Mary Pearson was the daughter of a physician and was raised in a Georgian house at the end of the High Street in Leighton Buzzard. The house now consists of part of Leighton Middle School, known within the school as The Old House, and was reportedly the setting of her novel The Borrowers. She married Robert Charles Norton on 4 September 1927 and had four children, two boys and two girls. Her second husband was Lionel Boncey, whom she married in 1970.[1] She began working for the War Office in 1940 before the family moved temporarily to the United States. She began writing while working for the British Purchasing Commission in New York during the Second World War. Her first book was The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, published by J. M. Dent in 1943.[4] Its sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks followed two years later and they were re-issued jointly as Bed-Knob and Broomstick in 1957. The stories became the basis for the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
Norton died of a stroke in Bideford, Devon, England on 29 August 1992.
Works [edit]
All of these books were originally published by J. M. Dent in hardcover editions.[4]
- The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons (1943)
- Bonfires and Broomsticks (1945)
The first omnibus edition was Bed-Knob and Broomstick (1957), illustrated by Erik Blegvad; later Bedknobs and Broomsticks after the Disney film (see adaptations).
- The Borrowers (1952) —winner of the Carnegie Medal[2]
- The Borrowers Afield (1955)
- The Borrowers Afloat (1959)[a]
- The Borrowers Aloft (1961)
- Poor Stainless: A New Story About the Borrowers (1966)[4]
- Are All the Giants Dead? (1975)
- The Borrowers Avenged (1982)
The 32-page chapterbook Poor Stainless was revised as a novelette and published posthumously with a short author's note in 1994 (Viking UK, 0-670-85427-1).[5]
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations [edit]
Norton's novels The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks were adapted into the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks, starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson.
There have been several screen adaptations of The Borrowers:
- The Borrowers: a 1973 American made-for-TV movie.
- The Borrowers: a 1992 BBC TV series and its 1993 sequel The Return of the Borrowers, both starring Ian Holm and Penelope Wilton.
- The Borrowers: a 1997 film with a British/American cast including Tom Felton, John Goodman, Jim Broadbent, Celia Imrie and Mark Williams.
- The Secret World of Arrietty: a 2010 Japanese animated film from Studio Ghibli.
- The Borrowers: a 2011 British film starring Stephen Fry, Victoria Wood and Christopher Eccleston.
There have also been numerous theatrical adaptations of The Borrowers.[6][7]
See also [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ a b The Borrowers Afloat, third in the series, was one of five "Commended" runners up for the 1959 Medal. The distinction was used about 170 times from 1954 to 2002, counting both commendation and high commendation in later years.
"Carnegie Medal Award". 2007(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
References [edit]
- ^ a b "Mary Norton." St. James Guide to Children's Writers, 5th ed. St. James Press, 1999.
- ^ a b (Carnegie Winner 1952). Living Archive: Celebrating the Carnegie and Greenaway Winners. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
- ^ "70 Years Celebration: Anniversary Top Tens". The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
- ^ a b c "Mary Norton Bibliography: A Collectors Reference Guide: UK First Edition Books". Bookseller World. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
- ^ Poor Stainless (collection) publication contents at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
- ^ Anne Hopper (3 December 2007). "The Borrowers". TheStage.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ^ Kelly Rowles (5 November 2010). "Philly's Arden Theatre Brings The Borrowers to the Stage this December!". CultureMob. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
External links [edit]
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