Over the span of two weeks, at the end of July and the start of August, the births of four legendary British authors of children’s literature are being celebrated. What is more, all four of these fascinating writers have had movies made about their extraordinary lives!
Not only are all four of these authors women, but all of them spent a lot of time in nature during childhood – kindling their fascination with magic, mystery and adventure – and all of them used their careers to contribute to their communities and other charity projects in some or other way. All four of these writers have sold astonishing numbers of books, despite skeptical publishers warning them not to expect much to come of it, being reprinted time after time and translated into dozens of languages.
So, get the popcorn ready and snuggle up on the couch to pay tribute to the lives of these inspirational authors!
1. Miss Potter (2006)
Helen Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) was born on 28 July 1866 in Kensington, England. She was not only gifted with the ability to tell imaginative stories, but also to sketch and paint beautiful characters and scenery. Growing up in a society where it was not the custom for women to have careers of their own, she was determined to make a name for herself as an artist and finally succeeded when her first little book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, was published in 1902. She also brought the world several other fabled characters, such as Jemima Puddle-Duck, Tom Kitten and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle.
The film Miss Potter tells the story of a determined Beatrix Potter who works her way up from unpublished artist to wealthy landowner. The road that she had to travel was not easy or painless, yet she held on to the realization that she was responsible for ensuring her own independence and happiness.
The inspirational life of Beatrix Potter teaches us that if you follow your heart and combine passion, hard work and dedication, you should not need to doubt what you do. Her story serves as a reminder that the arts can help one heal and grow and pour renewed life into broken souls.
2. Magic Beyond Words (2011)
Creator of the famous Harry Potter legacy, J.K. Rowling needs no introduction to book lovers young and old. Born on 31 July 1965 in South Gloucestershire, England, Joanne Rowling did various administrative and teaching jobs before having her first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone published in 1997. Her original Harry Potter series alone have sold over 500 million copies1 and she is considered the first author in history to achieve billionaire status. She is currently still residing in England.
Magic Beyond Words tells the story of Rowling’s desperate struggle for survival and the slow road to getting the first Harry Potter novel completed and published. The movie has received somewhat harsh critique in terms of authenticity, as Rowling herself was not consulted in the making of this movie and the producers’ American influence had remained somewhat noticeably. Nevertheless, it manages to portray her struggle and desperation quite aptly and is guaranteed to leave you entertained and moved!
The lesson behind Magic Beyond Words is simple: when all else fails, return to what makes you happy.
3. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
The author P.L. Travers (1899-1996) was best known for her series of Mary Poppins books. She was born in Australia as Helen Lyndon Goff on 9 August 1899 and would have celebrated her 120th birthday this year. She moved to England at the age of 25 and found the English lifestyle much to her liking, changing her name to Pamela Travers and making name as a British writer.
Interestingly enough, Saving Mr. Banks is not a film about how Travers’ books came about, but about how they were adapted into a movie titled Mary Poppins in 1964, with plenty of persuasion by story master Walt Disney. Having very different ideas about the characters, he and Travers discovered the father character – Mr. Banks – to be the key factor in bringing Mary Poppins to the big screen.
This movie is a great family watch and more than mere light-hearted entertainment. It is a story that will tug at the heart strings – reminding us that we sometimes need to let those around us help us heal. Set in beautiful Los Angeles, this film is filled with charming characters and Disney whimsy.
4. Enid (2009)
There are probably few writers of children’s literature who had managed to wrap herself in such controversy as the famous Enid Blyton (1897-1968). She was born on 11 August 1897 in East Dulwich in England and began writing seriously during her early twenties. Since the publication of her very first book, Child Whispers (a collection of 28 poems) in 1922, she had written and compiled roughly two thousand books.2 During all this time, she lived a life surrounded by endless rumours of affairs, family estrangement and being exceedingly pretentious. She prided herself on establishing good moral values in her readers through her books, of which an estimated total of over 500 million copies have been sold, yet they have often been banned from numerous libraries around the world.
Nevertheless, she has enthralled young readers across the globe with her imaginative tales and escapes to magical worlds. She is especially well known for her Famous Five, Secret Seven, Noddy and The Faraway Tree series.
The movie Enid is not a light-hearted watch and best not left for family-fun movie night. Instead, it is a somewhat tragic account of this illustrious’ author’s personal life and the manner in which she juggled her time-consuming career with her family responsibilities.
As with the other three authors featured in this post, Enid Blyton had used her writing as a form of refuge and salvation from her circumstances. However, the tale of her life bears the warning of not merely using the arts as a hiding place. Instead, the creator of such arts needs to be healed and uplifted by them in order for them to truly come to their full right.
Amidst the controversy shrouding her life, the creators of this film have seemingly tried their best to provide an accurate account of her life and the audio commentary available on the DVD is quite insightful.
Hope you enjoy celebrating the lives and careers of these wonderful female authors who has made such remarkable contributions to the world of children’s literature!
Happy watching!
1. https://www.jkrowling.com/writing/
2. https://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/cave-of-books.php