Mary Noel Streatfeild
OBE (24 December 1895 –11 September 1986) was an English author, best known for children's books including the "Shoes" books, which were not a series (though some books made references to others).
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, the U.S. publisher of the 1936 novel ''
Ballet Shoes
A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin full or split soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear wh ...
'' (1936), published some of Streatfeild's subsequent children's books using the word "Shoes" in their titles, to capitalize on the popularity of ''Ballet Shoes''; thus ''Circus Shoes'' (originally called ''
The Circus Is Coming
''The Circus Is Coming'' is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, about the working life of a travelling circus. It was first published in 1938 with illustrations by Steven Spurrier. For this novel, Streatfeild was awarded the annual Carne ...
''), ''Party Shoes'' (originally called ''Party Frock''), ''Skating Shoes'' (originally called ''
White Boots'') and many more. She won the third annual
Carnegie Medal for ''
Circus Shoes''.
[ She was a member of the historic Streatfeild family.
Several of her novels have been adapted for film or television.
]
Biography
Noel Streatfeild was born in Sussex, the second of five surviving children of William Champion Streatfeild
William Champion Streatfeild (1 September 1865Who was Who 1897–2007: London, A & C Black, 2008 – 15 February 1929) was the Anglican Bishop of Lewes. He was a descendant of the historic Streatfeild family, the father of the novelist Noe ...
, later the Bishop of Lewes
The Bishop of Lewes is an episcopal title used by a suffragan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester, in the Province of Canterbury, England. The title takes its name after Lewes, the county town of East Sussex
East Sussex i ...
, and Janet Venn. Her life is described in three semi-autobiographical novels: ''A Vicarage Family'', ''Away from the Vicarage'' and ''Beyond the Vicarage''. Her elder sister Ruth Gervis
Ruth Gervis (13 August 1894 – 26 October 1988) was a British illustrator. Together with her sister Noel Streatfeild she illustrated the 1936 book '' Ballet Shoes''. Her other book illustrations include '' The Buttercup Farm Family'', '' The P ...
illustrated ''Ballet Shoes
A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin full or split soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear wh ...
''. Noel was considered the "plain" sister in her family, but she shone in performances with her sisters for charity. Upon reaching adulthood she sought a career in theatre, and gained ten years of experience as an actress, working for the Charles Doran and Arthur Bourchier companies. Her familiarity with the stage was the basis for many of her popular books for children, which are often about children struggling with careers in the arts.
Her first children's book was ''Ballet Shoes
A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin full or split soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear wh ...
'', published by J. M. Dent
Joseph Malaby Dent (30 August 1849 – 9 May 1926) was a British book publisher who produced the Everyman's Library series.
Early life
Dent was born in Darlington in what is now part of the Grade II listed Britannia Inn. After a short and ...
in 1936. She recalled, "The story poured off my pen, more or less telling itself ... I distrusted what came easily and so despised the book." It was a commended runner-up for the inaugural Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best British children's book,[ and it launched a successful career in writing for children. For her third book and third "Shoes" novel, '']The Circus Is Coming
''The Circus Is Coming'' is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, about the working life of a travelling circus. It was first published in 1938 with illustrations by Steven Spurrier. For this novel, Streatfeild was awarded the annual Carne ...
'' (later published as ''Circus Shoes''), she won the 1938 Carnegie Medal.[
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1983.
]
Adaptations
'' Aunt Clara'' was filmed in 1954 with Margaret Rutherford
Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford, (11 May 1892 – 22 May 1972) was an English actress of stage, television and film.
She came to national attention following World War II in the film adaptations of Noël Coward's ''Blithe Spirit'', and Oscar ...
in the title role.
In 1968 London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
produced a six-episode serial of ''The Growing Summer'', with Wendy Hiller
Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', desc ...
as Aunt Dymphna. It was filmed in Bantry ( Bantry House), in Ahakista
Ahakista ( or ''Áth an Chiste'') is located approximately halfway along the Sheep's Head peninsula between Durrus and Kilcrohane in County Cork, Ireland. It is a wooded coastal village with a deep and sheltered harbour.
History Archaeology
Th ...
and near Kilcrohane
Kilcrohane () is a village in County Cork, Ireland. It is the last coastal village on the Sheep's Head Peninsula after Durrus and Ahakista. Kilcrohane lies under the 'Shadow of Seefin' (the area's highest hill) and is also close to Caher Mounta ...
on the Sheep's Head
Sheep's Head, also known as Muntervary ( ga, Rinn Mhuintir Bháire), is the headland at the end of the Sheep's Head peninsula situated between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay in County Cork, Ireland.
The peninsula is popular with walkers, and ...
Peninsula in County Cork
County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...
, Republic of Ireland.
''Thursday's Child'' was adapted for television by the BBC in 1972.
''Ballet Shoes'' was made into a 6-episode television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
by the BBC in 1975. In 2007 it was made into a feature-length film for BBC One (UK). A Granada production was adapted by the screenwriter Heidi Thomas
Heidi Thomas (born 13 August 1962) is an English screenwriter and playwright.
Career
After reading English at Liverpool University, Thomas gained national attention when her play, ''Shamrocks And Crocodiles'', won the John Whiting Award in ...
and starred Emilia Fox
Emilia Rose Elizabeth Fox (born 31 July 1974) is an English actress and presenter whose film debut was in Roman Polanski's film '' The Pianist''. Her other films include the Italian–French–British romance-drama film '' The Soul Keeper'' (2 ...
as Sylvia Brown, Victoria Wood
Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director.
Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...
as Nana, Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson (born 15 April 1990) is an English actress and activist. Known for her roles in both blockbusters and independent films, as well as for her women's rights work, she has received a selection of accolades, includi ...
as Pauline Fossil, Yasmin Paige Yasmin, Yasmine, or Yasmina may refer to:
People
* Yasmin (given name), a feminine given name, and sometimes surname
* Yasmin (musician) (born 1993), English singer, songwriter, and DJ
* Yasmine (pornographic actress), Yasmine Lafitte, French ac ...
as Petrova Fossil
''Ballet Shoes: A Story of Three Children on the Stage'' is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, published by Dent in 1936. It was her first book for children, and was illustrated by the author's sister, Ruth Gervis. Diane Goode illustrated ...
, Lucy Boynton
Lucy Boynton (born January 17, 1994) is a British-American actress. Raised in London, she made her professional debut as the young Beatrix Potter in '' Miss Potter'' (2006). She starred in television productions '' Ballet Shoes'' (2007), '' Sens ...
as Posy Fossil and Richard Griffiths as Great Uncle Matthew.
Noel Streatfeild also wrote 12 romance novels under the pen name "Susan Scarlett".
Allusions in other works
Noel Streatfeild was recommended by Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan (born Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra; November 19, 1961) is an American actress. She began her acting career in 1981 when she made her acting debut in the drama film ''Rich and Famous''. She later joined the cast of the CBS soap oper ...
's character in the 1998 film ''You've Got Mail
''You've Got Mail'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron and starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Inspired by the 1937 Hungarian play '' Parfumerie'' by Miklós László (which had earlier been adapted in 1940 as ''The S ...
''. "Noel Streatfeild wrote ''Ballet Shoes'' and ''Skating Shoes'' and ''Theatre Shoes'' and ''Dancing Shoes'' and...I'd start with ''Ballet Shoes'' first. It's my favorite ... although ''Skating Shoes'' is completely wonderful. But it's out of print."
Works discovered posthumously
Two unpublished short stories by Streatfeild were set to be published by Virago Press
Virago is a British publisher of women's writing and books on feminist topics. Started and run by women in the 1970s and bolstered by the success of the Women's Liberation Movement (WLM), Virago has been credited as one of several British femini ...
in November 2018 and mid-2019 after they were discovered by Streatfeild's nephew, William Streatfeild, and Donna Coonan, the editorial director of Virago Press.
Selected works
;Children's fiction
* ''Ballet Shoes
A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin full or split soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear wh ...
'' (1936)
* ''Tennis Shoes
Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...
'' (1937)
* ''The Circus Is Coming
''The Circus Is Coming'' is a children's novel by Noel Streatfeild, about the working life of a travelling circus. It was first published in 1938 with illustrations by Steven Spurrier. For this novel, Streatfeild was awarded the annual Carne ...
'' (1938), also published as ''Circus Shoes''
* '' The House in Cornwall'' (1940), also published in the US as ''The Secret of the Lodge'' (1940)
* '' The Children of Primrose Lane'' (1941), also published as ''The Stranger in Primrose Lane''
* ''Curtain Up
''Curtain Up'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Ralph Smart and starring Robert Morley, Margaret Rutherford and Kay Kendall. Written by Jack Davies and Michael Pertwee it is based on the play ''On Monday Next'' by Philip King. It ...
'' (1944), also published as ''Theater Shoes''
* '' Party Frock'' (1946), also published as ''Party Shoes''
* '' The Painted Garden'' (1949), significantly abridged and published in the U.S. as ''Movie Shoes''
* '' White Boots'' (1951), also published as ''Skating Shoes''
* ''The Fearless Treasure'' (1953)
* ''The Bell Family'' (1954), also published as ''Family Shoes''
* '' Wintle's Wonders'' (1957), also published as ''Dancing Shoes''
* ''New Town'' (1961)
* ''Apple Bough'' (1962), also published as ''Traveling Shoes''
* ''A Vicarage Family'' (1963)
* ''The First Book of the Ballet'' (1963)
* ''The Children on the Top Floor'' (1964)
* ''Away from the Vicarage'' (1965)
* ''The Growing Summer'' (1966), also published as ''The Magic Summer''
* ''Caldicott Place'' (1967), also published as ''The Family at Caldicott Place''
* The "Gemma" series (1968–69)
* ''Thursday's Child'' (1970)
* ''Beyond the Vicarage'' (1971)
* ''Ballet Shoes for Anna'' (1972)
* ''When the Siren Wailed'' (1974)
* ''Far to Go'' (1976), sequel to ''Thursday's Child''
* ''Meet the Maitlands'' (1978)
* ''The Maitlands: All Change at Cuckley Place'' (1979), sequel to the above
;Adult fiction
* ''The Whicharts'' (1931)
* ''Parson's Nine'' (1932)
* ''Tops and Bottoms'' (1933)
* ''A Shepherdess of Sheep'' (1934)
* ''It Pays to Be Good'' (1936)
* ''Caroline England'' (1937)
* ''Luke'' (1939)
* ''The Winter is Past'' (1940)
* ''I Ordered a Table for Six'' (1942)
* ''Myra Carroll'' (1944)
* '' Saplings'' (1945)
* ''Grass in Piccadilly'' (1947)
* ''Mothering Sunday'' (1950)
* '' Aunt Clara'' (1952), made into a 1954 film of the same title
* ''Judith'' (1956)
* ''The Silent Speaker'' (1961)
;Adult fiction under the pseudonym Susan Scarlett
* ''Clothes-Pegs'' (1939)
* ''Sally-Ann'' (1939)
* ''Peter and Paul'' (1940)
* ''Ten Way Street'' (1940)
* ''The Man in the Dark'' (1940)
* ''Babbacombe'' (1941)
* ''Under the Rainbow'' (1941)
* ''Summer Pudding'' (1943)
* ''Murder While You Work'' (1944)
* ''Poppies for England'' (1947)
* ''Pirouette'' (1948)
* ''Love in a Mist'' (1951)
;Nonfiction
* ''The Years of Grace'' (1950)
* ''Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
'' (1958)
* ''Magic and the Magician: E. Nesbit
Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English writer and poet, who published her books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also a political activist a ...
and her Children's Books'' (1958)
* '' The Boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamen'' (1972)
* ''Tea by the Nursery Fire'' (1976)
;Edited
* ''Growing up Gracefully'' (1955), illustrated by John Dugan
* ''The Day Before Yesterday: Firsthand Stories of Fifty Years Ago'' (1956), illustrated by Dick Hart
* ''To the Garden of Delights'' (1960)
Ancestry and descendants
See also
Notes
References
External links
The Noel Streatfeild homepage
Biography and images of early editions of Streatfeild's books
at elliemik.com
The Gemma Books by Noel Streatfeild
from the h2g2
The h2g2 website is a British-based collaborative online encyclopedia project. It describes itself as "an unconventional guide to life, the universe, and everything", in the spirit of the fictional publication '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to ...
Edited Guide Entry
The Fossil Cupboard
The Noel Streatfeild discussion board
''The Whicharts'' at Margin Notes Books
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Streatfeild, Noel
Noel
1895 births
1986 deaths
English children's writers
20th-century English novelists
Carnegie Medal in Literature winners
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People from Sussex