Margaret Rumer Godden (10 December 1907 – 8 November 1998) was an English author of more than 60

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a tradi ...

and

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably ''

Black Narcissus ''Black Narcissus'' is a 1947 British psychological drama film written, produced, and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and starring Deborah Kerr, Kathleen Byron, Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson, Esmond Knight, and Jean Si ...

'' in 1947 and '' The River'' in 1951. A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist

Jon Godden Winsome Ruth Key Godden (August 1906 1984) was an English novelist who wrote under the name Jon Godden. She was born in Assam, India. She was the elder sister of the better-known novelist Rumer Godden. Early life The eldest of four daugh ...

, including '' Two Under the Indian Sun'', a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...

Early life

Godden was born in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the l ...

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 Englis ...

, England. She grew up with her three sisters in

Narayanganj Narayanganj ( bn, নারায়ণগঞ্জ ''Naraeongônj'') is a city in central Bangladesh. It is in the Narayanganj District, about southeast of the capital city of Dhaka, and has a population of about 2 million. It is the 6th large ...

colonial India Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spices. The search for the wealth and prospe ...

(now in

), where her father, a shipping company executive, worked for the Brahmaputra Steam Navigation Company. Her parents sent the girls to England for schooling, as was the custom of the time, but brought them back to Narayanganj when the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

began. Godden returned to the United Kingdom with her sisters to continue her interrupted schooling in 1920, spending time at

Moira House School Moira House School was an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 6 weeks to 18 years in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, from 1887 to 2020, but founded in Surrey in 1875. Moira House was an inter-denominational school. On March ...

in Eastbourne and eventually training as a dance teacher. She went back to

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

in 1925 and opened a dance school for English and Indian children. Godden ran the school for 20 years with the help of her sister Nancy. During this time she published her first best-seller, the 1939 novel ''

''.

Writing career

In 1942, after eight years in an unhappy marriage (one she entered into in 1934 because she was pregnant), she moved with her two daughters, Jane and Paula, (her husband Laurence Foster having joined the army) to

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

, living first on a houseboat and then in a rented house where she started a farm. The novel ''

Kingfishers Catch Fire ''Kingfishers Catch Fire'' is a 1953 comedy novel by the British writer Rumer Godden. It was party inspired by her own time living in Kashmir.Lassner p.106 The title is taken from the poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 ...

'' was based on her time in Kashmir. After a mysterious incident in which it appeared that an attempt had been made to poison both her and her daughters, she returned to Calcutta in 1944. She returned to the United Kingdom in 1945 to concentrate on her writing, frequently moving house but living mostly in

and London. She was divorced in 1948. After returning from America to oversee the script for the movie of her book '' The River'', Godden married civil servant James Haynes Dixon on 26November 1949. In the early 1950s Godden became interested in the Catholic Church, though she did not officially convert until 1968, and several of her later novels contain sympathetic portrayals of Catholic priests and nuns. In addition to ''Black Narcissus'', two of her books deal with the subject of women in religious communities. In ''Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy'' and ''

In This House of Brede ''In This House of Brede'' is a novel by Rumer Godden published in 1969 by Viking in the US and by Macmillan in the UK. Synopsis The novel is a portrait of religious life in England that centers on Philippa Talbot, a highly successful profession ...

'' she acutely examined the balance between the mystical, spiritual aspects of religion and the practical, human realities of religious life. A number of Godden's novels are set in India, the atmosphere of which she evokes through all the senses; her writing is vivid with detail of smells, textures, light, flowers, noises and tactile experiences. Her books for children, especially her several doll stories, strongly convey the secret thoughts, confusions, disappointments and aspirations of childhood. Her plots often involve unusual young people not recognised for their talents by ordinary lower- or middle-class people but supported by the educated, rich, and upper-class, to the anger, resentment, and puzzlement of their relatives. She won a 1972 Whitbread award for ''

The Diddakoi ''The Diddakoi'' is a 1972 children's novel by Rumer Godden. Set in England, it features an orphan traveller or Romani girl, seven-year-old Kizzy Lovell, who faces persecution, grief, and loss in a hostile, close-knit, village community. The titl ...

'', a young adult novel about Gypsies, televised by the BBC as '' Kizzy''.

Later life and death

In 1968 she took the tenancy of

Lamb House Lamb House is a Grade II* listed 18th-century house situated in Rye, East Sussex, England, and in the ownership of the National Trust. The house is run as a writer's house museum. It has been the home of many writers, including Henry James fr ...

Rye, East Sussex is a small town and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England, two miles from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede. An important member of the mediaeval Cinque Ports confederati ...

, where she lived until the death of her husband in 1973. She moved to

Moniaive Moniaive ( 'monny-IVE'; gd, Am Moine Naomh, ''"The Holy Moor"'') is a village in the Parish of Glencairn, in Dumfries and Galloway, southwest Scotland. It stands on the Cairn and Dalwhat Waters, north-west of the town of Dumfries. Moniaive has ...

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries (''Siorrachd Dhùn Phris'' in Gaelic) is a historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the historic county. I ...

in 1978, when she was 70, to be near her daughter Jane. 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 ...

(OBE) in 1993. She visited India once more, in 1994, returning to Kashmir for the filming of a BBC ''Bookmark'' documentary about her life and books. Rumer Godden died on 8 November 1998 at the age of 90 after a series of strokes; her ashes were buried with those of her second husband in Rye.

Works

Books for adults

Fiction

* 1936 ''Chinese Puzzle'', her first published book-length work * 1937 ''The Lady and the Unicorn'' * 1939 ''

'', a story about the disorientation of British Anglican nuns in India; the first of her books to be adapted for the screen, as the film of the same name in 1947; a radio adaptation was also broadcast in 2008. A BBC mini-series was announced in September 2019 and aired in late 2020. * 1940 ''Gypsy, Gypsy'' * 1942 ''

Breakfast with the Nikolides ''Breakfast with the Nikolides'' is a 1942 novel by the British writer Rumer Godden.Lassner p.86 Like much of her work the story takes place in British India, where she lived for many years. Synopsis After a decade apart, while she has been wor ...

'' * 1945 '' A Fugue in Time'', published in the US as ''Take Three Tenses'', made into the film '' Enchantment'' in 1948 starring

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

and Teresa Wright * 1946 ''The River'', made into a film in 1951 directed by

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s. His films '' ...

; she collaborated on the screenplay for the film. * 1947 ''A Candle for St. Jude'' * 1950 ''A Breath of Air'' * 1953 ''

'' * 1956 '' An Episode of Sparrows'', made into the film ''

Innocent Sinners ''Innocent Sinners'' is a 1958 British black and white film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Flora Robson. It was based on the 1955 novel '' An Episode of Sparrows'' by Rumer Godden. Plot Olivia Chesney is too sick to leave home, som ...

'' in 1958 * 1957 ''Mooltiki, and other stories and poems of India'' * 1958 ''The Greengage Summer'', made into a film in 1961 * 1961 ''China Court: The Hours of a Country House'' * 1963 ''The Battle of the Villa Fiorita'', filmed in 1965 * 1968 ''Gone: A Thread of Stories'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1968 ''Swans and Turtles'' (short stories) * 1969 ''

'', follows Philippa along with other cloistered Benedictine nuns in the abbey of Brede in

, through Philippa's first years in the abbey; made into a 1975 television film starring

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

* 1975 ''The Peacock Spring'', adapted for television in 1995 * 1979 ''Five For Sorrow, Ten For Joy'' * 1981 ''The Dark Horse'' * 1984 ''Thursday's Children'' (Viking, New York) * 1989 ''Indian Dust'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1990 ''Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love: Stories'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1991 ''Coromandel Sea Change'' * 1994 ''Pippa Passes'' * 1997 ''Cromartie vs. the God Shiva'', her last novel

Non-fiction

* 1943 ''Rungli-Rungliot'' – republished in 1961 as ''Thus Far and No Further'' * 1945 ''Bengal Journey: A story of the part played by women in the province, 1939–1945'' * 1955 ''Hans Christian Andersen'' (biography) * 1966 ''Two Under the Indian Sun'' (childhood memories – written with Jon Godden) * 1968 ''Mrs. Manders' Cook Book'' * 1971 ''The Tale of the Tales: Beatrix Potter Ballet'' * 1972 ''Shiva's Pigeons'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1977 ''The Butterfly Lions'' * 1980 ''Gulbadan: Portrait of a Rose Princess At the Mughal Court'' * 1987 ''A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep'', an autobiography * 1989 ''A House with Four Rooms'', an autobiography

Children's books

* 1947 ''The Doll's House'', made into an animated series: '' Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House'' * 1951 ''The Mousewife'' * 1952 ''Mouse House'' * 1954 ''Impunity Jane: The Story of a Pocket Doll'' * 1956 ''The Fairy Doll'' * 1958 ''

The Story of Holly and Ivy ''The Story of Holly and Ivy'' is a 1958 children's book written by Rumer Godden. On first publication it was illustrated by Adrienne Adams, but later editions were illustrated by Barbara Cooney; the British Puffin edition is illustrated by Sheila ...

'' * 1960 ''Candy Floss'' * 1961 ''Saint Jerome and the Lion'' (retelling of the legend in verse) * 1961 ''Miss Happiness and Miss Flower'', about Japanese dolls and the house built for them. * 1963 ''Little Plum'', the sequel to ''Miss Happiness and Miss Flower'' * 1964 ''Home is the Sailor'' * 1967 ''The Kitchen Madonna'': two children make an icon for their Ukrainian housekeeper, a war refugee. * 1969 ''Operation Sippacik'' * 1972 ''

'' (also published as ''Gypsy Girl''), a children's book and winner of the Whitbread Award. Adapted by the BBC as a radio drama of the same name starring

Nisa Cole Ayesha Gwilt''England & Wales, Birth Index: 1984–2005'', as accessed oAncestry.co.uk (born 1989) is an English actress. She trained at the National Youth Theatre and has appeared in several theatre productions since. She also has a role in th ...

, and for television as '' Kizzy''. * 1972 ''The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle'' * 1975 ''Mr. McFadden's Hallowe'en'' * 1977 ''The Rocking Horse Secret'' * 1978 ''A Kindle of Kittens'' * 1981 ''The Dragon of Og'' * 1983 ''Four Dolls'' * 1983 ''The Valiant Chatti-Maker'' * 1984 ''Mouse Time: Two Stories'' * 1990 ''Fu-Dog'' * 1992 ''Great Grandfather's House'' * 1992 ''Listen to the Nightingale'' * 1996 ''The Little Chair'' * 1996 ''Premlata and the Festival of Lights ''

Poetry

* 1949 ''In Noah's Ark'' * 1968 ''A Letter to the World'' (based on the works of Emily Dickinson) * 1996 ''Cockcrow to Starlight: A Day Full of Poetry'' (anthology for children) * 1996 ''A Pocket Book of Spiritual Poems''

Translations

* 1963 ''Prayers from the Ark'', a translation of a collection of poems by French author

Carmen Bernos de Gasztold Carmen Bernos de Gasztold (9 October 1919 – 23 September 1995) was a French poet who lived in a Benedictine abbey. Her most famous collection is titled ''Prayers from the Ark''. The 1955 publication consists of short poems, each expressing ...

* 1967 ''The Beasts' Choir'', a translation of a collection of poems by French author

References

External links

The Rumer Godden Literary Trust
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Godden, Rumer 1907 births 1998 deaths British people in colonial India English women novelists English children's writers Converts to Roman Catholicism Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Dumfries and Galloway People from Eastbourne English Roman Catholics Narayanganj District Roman Catholic writers Costa Book Award winners 20th-century English women writers 20th-century English novelists British women children's writers