Cynthia Harnett (22 June 1893 – 25 October 1981) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

author and illustrator, mainly of

children's books A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

. She is best known for six

historical novels Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

that feature ordinary teenage children involved in events of national significance, four of them in the 15th century. They are characterised by meticulous background research and vivid evocation of history. For one of them, '' The Wool-Pack'' (1951), she won the Carnegie Medal from the

Library Association The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge management, knowle ...

, recognising the year's best children's book by a

British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...

. Another, ''

The Load of Unicorn ''The Load of Unicorn'' is a children's historical novel written and illustrated by Cynthia Harnett. It was first published in 1959, and then republished by Egmont Classics in 2001. It is set in London in 15th century, and concerns the adventu ...

'' (1959), was a commended runner-up for the Carnegie Medal.

Life

Cynthia Harnett was born in London and studied at

Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London based in London, United Kingdom, and is a leading British art and design institution with an international reputation. It offers further and higher educat ...

. She illustrated the early editions of several of her own novels, but she also collaborated more than a dozen times with the painter and etcher George Vernon Stokes (1873–1954). Several of their books about dogs, the countryside or both credit Stokes and Harnett as co-authors.

Works

;With (George) Vernon Stokes * ''In Praise of Dogs: An Anthology in Prose and Verse'' (Country Life, 1936), compiled by C.M. Harnett, illustrated by George Vernon Stokes * ''David's New World: The Making of a Sportsman'' (Country Life, 1937) * ''The Pennymakers'' (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1937) * ''Junk, the Puppy'' (Blackie & Son, 1937) * ''Banjo the Puppy'' (1938) * ''Velvet Nasks'' (Medici Society, 1938), illus. Vernon Stokes * ''To Be A Farmer's Boy'' (Blackie & Son, 1940) * ''Mudlarks'' (Collins, 1940) * ''Mountaineers'' (Collins, 1941) * ''Ducks and Drakes'' (Collins, 1942) * ''The Bob-Tail Pup'' (Collins, 1944) * ''Sand Hoppers'' (Collins, 1946) * ''Getting to Know Dogs'' (Collins, 1947), illus. Vernon Stokes * ''Two and a Bit'' (Collins, 1948) * ''Follow my Leader'' (Collins, 1949) * ''Pets Limited'' (Collins, 1950) ;Historical novels These six books were published by Methuen and the first five were illustrated by Harnett. * '' The Great House'' (1949) —set in London and the countryside in the 17th century * '' The Wool-Pack'' (1951) —set in the Cotswolds in 1493 * '' Ring Out Bow Bells!'' (1953) —set in London in 1415 * ''Stars of Fortune'' (1956) —set in 1554 * ''

'' (1959) —set in London in 1482 * '' The Writing on the Hearth'' (1971), illus. Gareth Floyd —set in the 1430s In the U.S. these six books were first published as ''The Great House'' (1968), ''Nicholas and the Wool-Pack'' (1953), ''The Drawbridge Gate'' (1953), ''Stars of Fortune'' (1956), ''Caxton's Challenge'' (1960), and ''The Writing on the Hearth'' (1973). At least three were re-titled again in the 1980s. ;Others * ''The Green Popinjay'' (Blackwell, 1955) * ''A Fifteenth-Century Wool Merchant'' (Oxford, 1962) * ''Monasteries & Monks'' (B. T. Batsford, 1963), illus. Edward Osmond

Notes

References

External links

"The Historical Stories of Cynthia Harnett"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harnett, Cynthia 1893 births 1981 deaths Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts Artists from London Carnegie Medal in Literature winners English children's writers English historical novelists Writers from London Writers who illustrated their own writing Place of death missing Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period

Life

Works

See also

Notes

References

External links