Mollie Panter-Downes
Encyclopedia
Mary Patricia "Mollie" Panter-Downes (25 August 1906—22 January 1997) was a novelist and newspaper
columnist
for The New Yorker
. Aged sixteen, she wrote The Shoreless Sea which became a bestseller
; eight editions were published in 1923 and 1924, and the book was serialised
in The Daily Mirror
. Her second novel The Chase was published in 1925.
After her marriage to Aubrey Robinson in 1927, the couple moved to Surrey, and in 1938 Panter-Downes began writing for the New Yorker, first a series of short stories
, and from September 1939, a column entitled Letter from London, which she wrote until 1984. The collected columns were later published as Letters from England (1940) and London War Notes (1972).
After visiting Ootacamund
, in India, she wrote about the town, known to all as Ooty, in her New Yorker columns. This material was later published as Ooty preserved.
Mollie Panter-Downes died in Compton, Surrey
, aged 90.
The last short story in 'Minnie's Room' called 'The Empty Place' written in 1965 has a character called Harry Potter.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. Aged sixteen, she wrote The Shoreless Sea which became a bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
; eight editions were published in 1923 and 1924, and the book was serialised
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
in The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror is a British national daily tabloid newspaper which was founded in 1903. Twice in its history, from 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was changed to read simply The Mirror, which is how the paper is often referred to in popular parlance. It had an...
. Her second novel The Chase was published in 1925.
After her marriage to Aubrey Robinson in 1927, the couple moved to Surrey, and in 1938 Panter-Downes began writing for the New Yorker, first a series of short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, and from September 1939, a column entitled Letter from London, which she wrote until 1984. The collected columns were later published as Letters from England (1940) and London War Notes (1972).
After visiting Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, in India, she wrote about the town, known to all as Ooty, in her New Yorker columns. This material was later published as Ooty preserved.
Mollie Panter-Downes died in Compton, Surrey
Compton, Surrey
Compton is a village and civil parish in the Guildford district of Surrey, England. It is situated between Godalming and Guildford. The village is close to the A3 road and is crossed by the North Downs Way. Compton contains the Watts Mortuary Chapel, built to the memory of Symbolist painter George...
, aged 90.
Selected works
- The Shoreless Sea (1923)
- The Chase (1925)
- My Husband Simon" (1931)
- One Fine Day (1947)
- Minnie's Room (Short stories collected between 1947–1965) Republished by Persephone BooksPersephone BooksPersephone Books is an independent publisher based in Bloomsbury, London. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone has a catalogue of 93 "neglected novels, diaries, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, biography and cookery books, mostly by women and mostly dating from the early to...
in 2002 - Good Evening, Mrs Craven (short stories collected between 1938–1944) Republished by Persephone BooksPersephone BooksPersephone Books is an independent publisher based in Bloomsbury, London. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone has a catalogue of 93 "neglected novels, diaries, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, biography and cookery books, mostly by women and mostly dating from the early to...
in 1999 - Ooty preserved: a Victorian hill station (1967)
Republished by Persephone Books
- Minnie's Room (Short stories collected between 1947–1965) Republished in 2002 by Persephone BooksPersephone BooksPersephone Books is an independent publisher based in Bloomsbury, London. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone has a catalogue of 93 "neglected novels, diaries, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, biography and cookery books, mostly by women and mostly dating from the early to...
- Good Evening, Mrs Craven (short stories collected between 1938–1944) Republished in 1999
The last short story in 'Minnie's Room' called 'The Empty Place' written in 1965 has a character called Harry Potter.