Lynne Reid Banks
Encyclopedia
Lynne Reid Banks is a British
author of books for children and adults.
She has written forty books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard
, which has sold over 10 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film
. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room
, published in 1960, was an instant and lasting best seller. The L-Shaped Room was later made into a movie of the same name
and led to two sequels, The Backward Shadow and Two is Lonely. Banks also wrote a biography
of the Brontë
family, entitled Dark Quartet, and a sequel about Charlotte Brontë
, Path to the Silent Country.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
during World War II but returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School
in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so.
In 1962 Banks emigrated to Israel
, where she taught for eight years on an Israeli kibbutz
Yas'ur. In 1965 she married Chaim Stephenson, a sculptor, with whom she had three sons; Adiel, Gillon and Omri Stephenson with whom she has recently collaborated on two picture books (see below). She now lives with her husband in Sheperton, near London, UK.
Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books (including One More River and its sequel, Broken Bridge - and other books such as An End to Running and Children at the Gate) which are set partially or mainly on kibbutz
im.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author of books for children and adults.
She has written forty books, including the best-selling children's novel The Indian in the Cupboard
The Indian in the Cupboard
The Indian in the Cupboard is a children's book by British author Lynne Reid Banks, and illustrated by Brock Cole. It was first published in 1980, and has received numerous awards, as well as being made into a film in 1995....
, which has sold over 10 million copies and has been successfully adapted to film
The Indian in the Cupboard (film)
The Indian in the Cupboard is a 1995 American fantasy film based on the children's book of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks. The story is about a boy who receives a cupboard as a gift on his ninth birthday...
. Her first novel, The L-Shaped Room
The L-Shaped Room (novel)
The L-Shaped Room is a 1960 British novel by Lynne Reid Bankswhich tells the story of a young woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves into a London boarding house, befriending a young man in the building...
, published in 1960, was an instant and lasting best seller. The L-Shaped Room was later made into a movie of the same name
The L-Shaped Room
The L-Shaped Room is a 1962 British drama film, directed by Bryan Forbes, which tells the story of a young French woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves into a London boarding house, befriending a young man in the building...
and led to two sequels, The Backward Shadow and Two is Lonely. Banks also wrote a biography
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
of the Brontë
Brontë
The Brontës were a nineteenth-century literary family associated with Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte , Emily , and Anne , are well-known as poets and novelists...
family, entitled Dark Quartet, and a sequel about Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
, Path to the Silent Country.
Banks was born in London, the only child of James and Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
during World War II but returned after the war was over. She attended St Teresa's School
St Teresa's School
St Teresa's School is a British independent private day and boarding school for girls aged 11–18 in Effingham, Surrey, England, established in 1928...
in Surrey. Prior to becoming a writer Banks was an actress, and also worked as a television journalist in Britain, one of the first women to do so.
In 1962 Banks emigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where she taught for eight years on an Israeli kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
Yas'ur. In 1965 she married Chaim Stephenson, a sculptor, with whom she had three sons; Adiel, Gillon and Omri Stephenson with whom she has recently collaborated on two picture books (see below). She now lives with her husband in Sheperton, near London, UK.
Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of her time in Israel can be seen in some of her books (including One More River and its sequel, Broken Bridge - and other books such as An End to Running and Children at the Gate) which are set partially or mainly on kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
im.
Children's novels
- The Indian in the CupboardThe Indian in the CupboardThe Indian in the Cupboard is a children's book by British author Lynne Reid Banks, and illustrated by Brock Cole. It was first published in 1980, and has received numerous awards, as well as being made into a film in 1995....
(1980) - The Return of the Indian (1985)
- The Secret of the Indian (1989)
- The Mystery of the Cupboard (1992)
- The Key to the Indian (1998)
- Tiger Tiger
- The Adventures of King Midas
- Alice-By-Accident
- Angela and Diabola
- The Dungeon
- Maura's Angel
- One More River (1973; revised version later released circa 1992)
- Broken Bridge
- The Fairy Rebel
- The Farthest-Away MountainThe Farthest-Away MountainThe Farthest-Away Mountain is a children's novel, first published in 1976, by Lynne Reid Banks, a British author.Dakin is a fifteen year old girl, who when she was small was asked what goals she has for her life. She responds that she will travel to the Farthest Away Mountain, meet and speak to a...
(1976) - Harry the Poisonous Centipede
- Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea
- Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure
- I, Houdini: The Autobiography of a Self-Educated Hamster (1988)
- Stealing Stacey
- Melusine (1988)
- Bad Cat Good Cat"(2011)
Adult novels
- The L-Shaped RoomThe L-Shaped Room (novel)The L-Shaped Room is a 1960 British novel by Lynne Reid Bankswhich tells the story of a young woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves into a London boarding house, befriending a young man in the building...
(1960) - An End to Running
- Children at the Gate
- The Backward Shadow the sequel to the L-Shaped Room.
- Two is Lonely the third book in the L-Shaped Room trilogy.
- Casualties
- Defy the Wilderness
- Dark Quartet (the Story of the Brontës)
- Path to the Silent Country (Charlotte Brontë's Years of Fame)
- Fair Exchange