Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for

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 ...

, especially

historical fiction 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 ...

and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novels were specifically written for adults. In a 1986 interview she said, "I would claim that my books are for children of all ages, from nine to ninety." For her contribution as a children's writer Sutcliff was a runner-up for the

Hans Christian Andersen Medal The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

in 1974.

Biography

Sutcliff was born 14 December 1920 to George Ernest Sutcliff and his wife Nessie Elizabeth, née Lawton, in

East Clandon East Clandon is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England on the A246 between the towns of Guildford to the west and Leatherhead to the east. Neighbouring villages include West Clandon and West Horsley. In 2011 it had a population of 268 ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. She spent her childhood in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and various naval bases where her father, a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer, was stationed. She was affected by Still's disease when she was very young, and used a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

most of her life. Due to her chronic illness, Sutcliff spent most of her time with her mother from whom she learned many of the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

and

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

s that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Sutcliff's early schooling was constantly interrupted by moving house and her illness. She did not learn to read until she was nine years of age, and left school at age 14 to enter the

Bideford Art School Bideford Art School was an art school in Bideford in Devon from 1896 until the 1970s. Located on The Quay, today the building is used as Bideford Arts Centre and has been a Grade II listed building on the Register of Historic England since 2001.

, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. Sutcliff then worked as a painter of miniatures. Inspired by the children's historical novels of

Geoffrey Trease (Robert) Geoffrey Trease FRSL (11 August 1909 – 27 January 1998) was a prolific British writer who published 113 books, mainly for children, between 1934 and 1997, starting with '' Bows Against the Barons'' and ending with ''Cloak for a Spy'' ...

, her first published book was ''The Chronicles of Robin Hood'' in 1950. In 1954, she published what remains her best-known work ''

The Eagle of the Ninth ''The Eagle of the Ninth'' is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1954. The story is set in Roman Britain in the 2nd century AD, after the building of Hadrian's Wall. Plot Discharged because ...

,'' part of a series on Roman Britain and its aftermath; they were not written as such or in sequential order but connected by the linking device of an emerald ring, passed down through generations of the same family. Between 1954 and 1958, Sutcliff's works ''The Eagle of the Ninth'', its sequel '' The Silver Branch'', '' Outcast'' and ''

Warrior Scarlet ''Warrior Scarlet'' is an historical adventure novel for children by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Charles Keeping and first published in 1958. It is set in Bronze Age Britain, approximately 900 BCE, and takes place in and around the South Do ...

'' were runners-up in the annual Carnegie Medal, given by 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 ...

to 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 ...

. She finally won the Medal for her third book in the ''Eagle'' series, '' The Lantern Bearers'' (1959). Where the first two books and one subsequent one were set in

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...

, ''The Lantern Bearers'' immediately follows the withdrawal of the Roman Empire, when the British people are threatened by remaining Germanic troops and by invaders. Sutcliff was Carnegie runner-up again for her retelling of the

Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. It was one of the three great Wester ...

in ''

Tristan and Iseult Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

'', which in 1971 won the American Horn Book Award. In 1985, ''

The Mark of the Horse Lord ''The Mark of the Horse Lord'' is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1965. It won the first Phoenix Award in 1985. It takes place in Roman Britain and tells the tale of a gladiator who becomes involved ...

'' was the inaugural winner of the

Phoenix Award The Phoenix Award annually recognizes one English-language children's book published twenty years earlier that did not then win a major literary award. It is named for the mythical bird phoenix that is reborn from its own ashes, signifying the ...

, created by the

Children's Literature Association The Children's Literature Association (ChLA) is a non-profit association, based in the United States, of scholars, critics, professors, students, librarians, teachers, and institutions dedicated to studying children's literature.Margaret W. Denman- ...

to recognise the best English-language children's book that did not win a major award when originally published twenty years earlier. It is named for the mythical bird phoenix, which is reborn from its ashes, to suggest the book's rise from obscurity. ''The Shining Company'' won the same award in 2010. Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near

Arundel Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England. The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much large ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

. In 1975, she was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for services to children's literature, and later Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life and was still doing so on the morning of her death in 1992. Sutcliff never married and had no children.

Books

Autobiography

* ''Blue Remembered Hills: A recollection'' (1983); Sutcliff's memoir of her childhood and young adulthood.

Other nonfiction

* ''Houses and History'' (London: Batsford, 1960), illustrated by William Stobbs * ''Rudyard Kipling'' (1960), a

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

* ''Heroes and History'' (1965), illus.

Charles Keeping Charles William James Keeping (22 September 1924 – 16 May 1988) was an English people, English illustrator, children's book author and lithographer. He made the illustrations for Rosemary Sutcliff's historical novels for children, and he creat ...

* ''A Saxon Settler'' (People of the Past, 1965), illus. John Lawrence

''Eagle of the Ninth'' series

The series, also referred to as 'Marcus', is linked by the Aquila family dolphin ring and listed here in fictional chronological order. (They were not written as a series by the author.) # ''

'' (1954), illus.

C. Walter Hodges Cyril Walter Hodges (18 March 1909 – 26 November 2004) was an English artist and writer best known for illustrating children's books and for helping to recreate Elizabethan theatre. He won the annual Greenaway Medal for British children's boo ...

‡ # '' The Silver Branch'' (1957), illus. Charles Keeping ‡ # ''Frontier Wolf'' (1980) # '' The Lantern Bearers'' (1959) # ''

Sword at Sunset ''Sword at Sunset'' is a best-selling 1963 novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. One of her few historical novels written specifically for adults, it is her interpretation of the legend of King Arthur. This is the first novel that Sutcliff wrote using a ...

'' (1963); "officially for adults" # ''

Dawn Wind ''Dawn Wind'' is a historical novel for children and young adults written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1961 by Oxford University Press, with illustrations by Charles Keeping. It takes place in Britain in the sixth century, after the ...

'' (1961), illus. Charles Keeping # ''Sword Song'' (1997, posthumous) # '' The Shield Ring'' (1956), illus. C. Walter Hodges ‡ ''Three Legions'' (1980), or ''Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles'' (2010), is an omnibus edition of the original ''Eagle of the Ninth'' trilogy (''The Eagle of the Ninth'', ''The Silver Branch'' and ''The Lantern Bearers'', 1954 to 1959).

Arthurian novels

Raymond Thompson credits Sutcliff with "some of the finest contemporary recreations of the Arthurian story" and names these seven works. The first two are also part of the ''Eagle of the Ninth'' series (above) that attempt to depict Arthur as an actual historical figure. * '' The Lantern Bearers'' (1959) * ''

'' (1963) * ''

'' (1971); retells the story of

* The Arthurian Trilogy (inspired by Malory's ''Le Morte d'Arthur'') ** '' The Sword and the Circle'' (1981), illus. Shirley Felts ** '' The Light Beyond the Forest'' (1979), illus. Shirley Felts ** '' The Road to Camlann'' (1981), illus. Shirley Felts * ''The Shining Company'' (1990); retells the ''

Y Gododdin ''Y Gododdin'' () is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Brittonic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a p ...

'' story (the earliest mention of Arthur's name) ''King Arthur Stories: Three Books in One'' (1999), or ''The King Arthur Trilogy'' (2007), is an omnibus edition of the Arthurian Trilogy (1979 to 1981).

Other children's novels

* ''The Chronicles of Robin Hood'' (Oxford, 1950), illus.

—Sutcliff's first published book * '' The Queen Elizabeth Story'' (1950) illus.

* ''

The Armourer's House ''The Armourer's House'' is a children's historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and first published in 1951. It is set primarily in London during the reign of King Henry VIII. It is Sutcliff's third book, and is acknowledged by her as being 'a l ...

'' (1951) illus.

* ''

Brother Dusty-Feet ''Brother Dusty-Feet'' is a children's historical novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff and first published in 1952. It is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It is Sutcliff's fourth book. Plot summary Hugh Copplestone is an orp ...

'' (1952), illus. by

* ''

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

'' (1953), illus. Richard Kennedy, cover art by William Stobbs; set during the 17th-century

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

* '' Outcast'' (1955), illus. Richard Kennedy * ''

'' (1958), illus.

* ''

Knight's Fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. Of necessity, it would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish him ...

'' (1960), illus.

* ''Bridge Builders'' (1960), illus.

Douglas Relf Douglas Rupert Relf (November 1907 - April 1970) was a British artist who became well known for his work for the British Railways Western Region, and for his illustrations and dust jackets for many children's books from multiple publishers in the ...

, about the building of

Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. R ...

. Originally published as a short story in ''Another Six (Another 6): Stories'' by Richard Armstrong, William Mayne, Noel Streatfeild, Patricia Lynch, A. Philippa Pearce, Rosemary Sutcliff. UK: Blackwell, 1959. * ''Beowulf: Dragonslayer'' (1961) illus.

; retells the ''

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

'' story * ''The Hound of Ulster'' (1963), illus.

Victor Ambrus Victor Ambrus (born László Győző Ambrus, 19 August 1935 – 10 February 2021) was a Hungarian-born British illustrator of history, folk tales, and animal story books. He also became known from his appearances on the Channel 4 television ...

; retells the story of Cúchulainn * ''

'' (1965), illus.

; * ''The Chief's Daughter'' (1967), illus.

; * '' The High Deeds of Finn MacCool'' (1967), illus. Michael Charleton * ''A Circlet of Oak Leaves'' (1968), illus.

* ''The Witch's Brat'' (1970), illus. Richard Lebenson * ''The Truce of the Games'' (1971), illus.

* ''Heather, Oak, and Olive'' (1972), illus.

; a collection of three dramatic stories: "The Chief's Daughter", "A Circlet of Oak Leaves", and "A Crown of Wild Olive" (originally published as "The Truce of the Games") * ''The Capricorn Bracelet'' (1973), illus.

(later, Richard Cuffari); six stories, linked by a Roman

armilla (military decoration) An ''armilla'' (plural ''armillae'') was an armband awarded as a military decoration (''donum militarium'') to soldiers of ancient Rome for conspicuous gallantry. Legionary (citizen) soldiers and non-commissioned officers below the rank of centur ...

, that originated as radio scripts * ''The Changeling'' (1974), illus. Victor Ambrus * ''We Lived in Drumfyvie'' (1975), by Sutcliff and Margaret Lyford-Pike. "The authors combine their talents to recreate 700 years in the life of an imaginary Scottish burgh. The folk of Drumfyvie tell their own stories. " * ''

Blood Feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

'' (1976), illus.

. Adapted as a TV movie in 1990, title
Sea Dragon
* '' Sun Horse, Moon Horse'' (1977), illus. Shirley Felts * ''Shifting Sands'' (1977), illus. Laslzo Acs * ''Song for a Dark Queen'' (1978); retells the story of

Queen Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as ()), was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She ...

* ''Eagle's Egg'' (1981), illus. Victor Ambrus * ''Bonnie Dundee'' (1983), the story of

John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee John Graham, 7th of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee (21 July 1648 – 27 July 1689) was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian. He was responsible for policing southwest Scotland during and after the religious unrest and r ...

, and the

Jacobite rising of 1689 The Jacobite rising of 1689 was a conflict fought primarily in the Scottish Highlands, whose objective was to put James II & VII back on the throne, following his deposition by the November 1688 Glorious Revolution. Named after "Jacobus", the ...

* ''Flame-coloured Taffeta'' (1986), illus. Rachel Birkett * ''The Roundabout Horse'' (1986) illus. Alan Marks * ''A Little Dog Like You'' (1987) illus. Jane Johnson * ''The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff'' (1987), illus. Charles Keeping—omnibus edition of ''Warrior Scarlet'', ''The Mark of the Horse Lord'', and ''Knight's Fee'' (1958–1965) * ''The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup'' (1993, posthumous), illus. by

Emma Chichester Clark Emma Chichester Clark (born 15 October 1955) is a British children's book illustrator and author. She has published over 60 books and is best known for her series of picture books about a child's toy called Blue Kangaroo.Joanna CareyCroc on ice ( ...

; also serialised in ''Cricket'' * '' Black Ships Before Troy'' (1993, posth.), illus. Alan Lee; retells the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

'' story; also serialised in ''Cricket'' * ''Chess-Dream in a Garden'' (1993, posth.), illus. Ralph Thompson A fantasy for children inspired by the

Lewis Chessmen The Lewis chessmen ( no, Lewisbrikkene; gd, Fir-Tàilisg; sco, Lewis chesmen) or Uig chessmen, named after the island or the bay where they were found, are a group of distinctive 12th-century chess pieces, along with other game pieces, most o ...

. * ''The Wanderings of Odysseus'' (1995, posth.), illus. Alan Lee; retells the ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...

'' story

Novels for adults

* ''

Lady in Waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

'' (1957); set in Tudor England, the story of Bess Throckmorton, wife of

Sir Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...

* ''The Rider of the White Horse'' (1959); set during the 17th-century

, about Parliamentarian general

Sir Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...

and his wife Anne who travelled on campaign with him * ''

'' (1963); set in

sub-Roman Britain Sub-Roman Britain is the period of late antiquity in Great Britain between the end of Roman rule and the Anglo-Saxon settlement. The term was originally used to describe archaeological remains found in 5th- and 6th-century AD sites that hint ...

, a story of King Arthur as the Romano-Celtic warrior prince he may have been; part of ''The Eagle of the Ninth'' series * ''The Flowers of Adonis'' (1969); set in ancient Greece, about the brilliant but erratic Athenian general

Alkibiades Alcibiades ( ; grc-gre, Ἀλκιβιάδης; 450 – 404 BC) was a prominent Athenian statesman, orator, and general. He was the last of the Alcmaeonidae, which fell from prominence after the Peloponnesian War. He played a major role in the ...

and the

Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...

* ''Blood and Sand'' (1987); set during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, based on the life of the soldier Thomas Keith.

Other works

Plays and screenplays

* ''The New Laird''. Radio play (BBC Schools Radio serie
''Stories from Scottish History''
. Broadcast 7 May 1966. * ''Ghost Story''. Screenplay with Stephen Weeks and Philip Norman, 1975. * ''Mary Bedell''. Stage play. Produced London, 1986. * ''The Eagle of the Ninth''. Stage play with Mary Rensten.

Articles

* "History Is People". A paper distributed at a conference on Children's Literature in Education, Exeter, England, 1971. Reprinted in ''Children and Literature: Views and Reviews'', edited by

Virginia Haviland Virginia Haviland (May 21, 1911 – January 6, 1988) was an American librarian and writer who became an international authority in children's literature. She chaired the prestigious Newbery-Caldecott Award Committee, traveled and wrote extensivel ...

, pp. 305–312

Scott, Foresman Scott Foresman was an elementary educational publisher for PreK through Grade 6 in all subject areas. Its titles are now owned by Savvas Learning Company which formed from former Pearson Education K12 division. The old Glenview headquarters o ...

1973, pp. 305–312 * "Combined Ops". ''Junior Bookshelf'' 24 (July 1960):121–27. Reprinted in Egoff, ''Only Connect: Readings on Children's Literature'', 1st ed., pp. 244–48; 2d ed., pp. 284–88. Describes the process of writing ''Eagle of the Ninth'' and ''The Lantern Bearers''.

Collected papers

In 1966 Sutcliff made a small donation to the

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection The McCain Library and Archives is the chief reserve library for The University of Southern Mississippi. It houses the items in Southern Mississippi's possession that are not available for checkout. Besides being the archives, the building also h ...

at the University of Southern Mississippi in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The city popu ...

. (In this she responded to Lena Grummond's international call for original materials to establish the Collection.) The Sutcliff Papers include a manuscript and two typescripts for the radio play ''The New Laird''. That programme was taped 4 April 1966 and broadcast from Edinburgh on 17 May 1966 as part of the ''Stories from Scottish History'' series (BBC Radio Scotland). The collection also includes a small red composition book of research notes for ''The Lantern Bearers'' and for two unpublished works, ''The Amber Dolphin'' and ''The Red Dragon''.

Works about Sutcliff

* Margaret Meek, ''Rosemary Sutcliff'', New York, Henry Z. Walck, (1962), a brief biographical monograph and critical study. *

John Rowe Townsend John Rowe Townsend (19 May 1922 – 24 March 2014) was a British children's writer and children's literature scholar. His best-known children's novel is ''The Intruder'', which won a 1971 Edgar Award. His best-known academic work is a reference s ...

, "Rosemary Sutcliff", a critical essay in ''A Sense of Story: Essays on Contemporary Writers for Children'', London,

Longman Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

, 1971, pp. 193–99. Reissued as ''A Sounding of Storytellers'' (1979). * Barbara L. Talcroft, ''Death of the Corn King: King and Goddess in Rosemary Sutcliff's Historical Novels for Young Adults'', Metuchen, New Jersey and London: The Scarecrow Press, 1995. * Miriam Youngerman Miller, "The Rhythm of a Tongue: Literary Dialect in Rosemary Sutcliff's Novels of the Middle Ages for Children", ''Children's Literature Association Quarterly'' 19:1, Spring 1994, pp. 25–31. * Hilary Wright, ''Shadows on the Downs: Some Influences of Rudyard Kipling on Rosemary Sutcliff''. ''Children's Literature in Education'' 12, No. 2:90-102 (Summer 1981) * ''The Search for Selfhood: The Historical Novels of Rosemary Sutcliff''. TLS : Essays and Reviews from the ''Times Literary Supplement'', 17 June 1965, p. 498. Reprinted in ''Only Connect: Readings on children's literature'', ed.

Sheila Egoff Sheila Agnes Egoff (January 20, 1918 – May 22, 2005) was a Canadian librarian, literary critic, and historian who was Canada's first professor of children's literature. A recipient of the Order of Canada, she was known for her studies of chil ...

et al. Toronto New York: Oxford University Press (Canadian Branch), 1969, pp. 249–255. * Abby Mims, ''Rosemary Sutcliff'' in ''British Writers: Supplement 16''. Ed. Jay Parini. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2010. Web: Gale ''Literature Resource Center''.

Awards

The biennial

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". Th ...

conferred by the

International Board on Books for Young People The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is an international non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together. The headquarters of the IBBY are located in Basel, Switzerland. IBBY history In 1952, Jella Lepm ...

is the highest recognition available to a writer or illustrator of children's books. Sutcliff was one of three runners-up for the writing award in 1974 (and the British nominee in 1968 as well). She won several awards for particular works. * 1959 Carnegie Medal, ''The Lantern Bearers'' * 1971 (the Dutch Silver Pencil) * 1972

Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

, ''Tristan and Iseult'' * 1978 The Other Award, ''Song for a Dark Queen'' * 1985

, ''The Mark of the Horse Lord'' (1965) * 2010 Phoenix Award, ''The Shining Company'' (1990) Besides winning the 1959 Carnegie Medal, Sutcliff was a commended runner-up five times. Alan Lee, who illustrated Sutcliff's posthumously published retellings of ''

The Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Ody ...

'' and ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...

'', won the companion

Kate Greenaway Medal The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...

for the former, '' Black Ships Before Troy'' (1993).

Notes

References

External links

* – books, TV scripts, films, TV versions and life; by her

literary executor The literary estate of a deceased author consists mainly of the copyright and other intellectual property rights of published works, including film, translation rights, original manuscripts of published work, unpublished or partially completed wo ...

Anthony Lawton
Official Birth Centenary Blog
also by her

Anthony Lawton * *
"Rosemary Sutcliff: An Appreciation"
by Sandra Garside-Neville, first published in ''Solander'' (Journal of the

Historical Novel Society The Historical Novel Society (HNS) is a nonprofit international literary society devoted to promotion of and advocacy for the genre of historical fiction. Definition of historical fiction There are varying definitions as to what types of literature ...

), No. 8, pp. 2–6, December 2000
"Of the Minstrel Kind"
by Margaret Meek, a tribute to Rosemary Sutcliff at seventy published in ''

Books for Keeps ''Books for Keeps'' is a British online magazine covering children's books."Rosemary Sutcliff 1920–1992"
at HistoricalNovels.info

reviewed by Eric Eller at The Green Man Review – provides synopses and discusses the series in the context of place and chronological setting

by

Raymond H. Thompson Raymond H. Thompson is a Canadian scholar of medieval literature specializing in King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, and in the reinterpretation of this material in modern literature. He is a professor emeritus in the Department of English at Aca ...

, 1986], The Camelot Project, Robbins Library Digital Projects,

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

"Obituary: Rosemary Sutcliff"

Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare MBE (born 1951) is a British journalist and writer on the subject of children's books. She has been Children's Books editor for ''The Guardian'' newspaper for more than ten years, at least from 2000. She is also an editorial con ...

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The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 27 July 1992 {{DEFAULTSORT:Sutcliff, Rosemary English children's writers English fantasy writers English historical novelists British writers of young adult literature Writers of modern Arthurian fiction Carnegie Medal in Literature winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English people with disabilities English women novelists Women science fiction and fantasy writers People from the Borough of Guildford People from Walberton 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English women writers 1920 births 1992 deaths British women short story writers Women writers of young adult literature Women historical novelists Writers with disabilities Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period

Biography

Books

Autobiography

Other nonfiction

''Eagle of the Ninth'' series

Arthurian novels

Other children's novels

Novels for adults

Other works

Plays and screenplays

Articles

Collected papers

Works about Sutcliff

Awards

See also

Notes

References

External links