Rosemary Sutcliff
Encyclopedia
Rosemary Sutcliff CBE
(14 December 1920–23 July 1992) was a British
novelist, and writer for children, best known as a writer of historical fiction
and children's literature
. Although she was primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults; Sutcliff herself once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages from eight to eighty-eight". Indeed, some of her novels were specifically written for adults (see below).
, Surrey
, but spent her childhood in Malta
and various naval bases where her father, a Royal Navy
officer, was stationed. She contracted Still's Disease
when she was very young, and thus used a wheelchair most of her life. Due to her chronic illness, Sutcliff spent most of her time with her mother—a tireless storyteller—from whom she learned many of the Celtic
and Saxon legend
s that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Sutcliff's early schooling was constantly interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition. She did not learn to read until she was nine years of age, and left school at fourteen years to enter the Bideford
Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. Sutcliff then worked as a painter of miniatures
.
Sutcliff began her published writing career in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She wrote The Eagle of the Ninth
, her best-known work, in 1954. In 1959 Sutcliff won the Carnegie Medal
for The Lantern Bearers
and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult
. In 1974, she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
. The Mark of the Horse Lord
won the first Phoenix Award
in 1985, and The Shining Company in 2010.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton
near Arundel
, Sussex
. In 1975, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
for services to Children's Literature, and was promoted to be a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death in 1992. Sutcliff never married and had no children.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(14 December 1920–23 July 1992) was a British
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...
novelist, and writer for children, best known as a writer of historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
and children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
. Although she was primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults; Sutcliff herself once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages from eight to eighty-eight". Indeed, some of her novels were specifically written for adults (see below).
Life
Sutcliff was born to George Ernest and Elizabeth (née Lawton) Sutcliff in West ClandonWest Clandon
West Clandon is a village in Surrey, England. It is within 4 miles of the M25 and the A3. Nearby villages include Send, Ripley, Ockham, East and West Horsley. Local towns are Woking and Guildford....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, but spent her childhood in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and various naval bases where her father, a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer, was stationed. She contracted Still's Disease
Still's disease
Still's disease can refer to:* Juvenile idiopathic arthritis* Adult-onset Still's disease...
when she was very young, and thus used a wheelchair most of her life. Due to her chronic illness, Sutcliff spent most of her time with her mother—a tireless storyteller—from whom she learned many of the Celtic
Celtic mythology
Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
and Saxon legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Sutcliff's early schooling was constantly interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition. She did not learn to read until she was nine years of age, and left school at fourteen years to enter the Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. Sutcliff then worked as a painter of miniatures
Portrait miniature
A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolour, or enamel.Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century...
.
Sutcliff began her published writing career in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She wrote The Eagle of the Ninth
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....
, her best-known work, in 1954. In 1959 Sutcliff won the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for The Lantern Bearers
The Lantern Bearers (Sutcliff novel)
The Lantern Bearers is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1959, with illustrations by Charles Keeping...
and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult
Tristan and Iseult (novel)
Tristan and Iseult is a children's novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1971. A re-telling of an ancient story, it received the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award in 1972 , and was runner-up for the 1972 Carnegie medal ....
. In 1974, she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award
Hans Christian Andersen Award
The Hans Christian Andersen Award, sometimes known as the "Nobel Prize for children's literature", is an international award given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature"...
. The Mark of the Horse Lord
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....
won the first Phoenix Award
Phoenix Award
The Phoenix Award is awarded annually to a book originally published in English twenty years previously which did not receive a major award at the time of its publication....
in 1985, and The Shining Company in 2010.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton
Walberton
Walberton is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is located five miles to the north-west of Littlehampton, and is situated south of the A27 road. Located on the southernmost slopes of the South Downs the civil parish covers an area of and has a population...
near Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. In 1975, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to Children's Literature, and was promoted to be a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death in 1992. Sutcliff never married and had no children.
Eagle of the Ninth series in chronological order (novels linked by the Aquila family dolphin ring)
- The Eagle of the NinthThe Eagle of the NinthThe 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....
(1954) illustrated by C. Walter HodgesC. Walter HodgesCyril Walter Hodges, known as C. Walter Hodges , was an English illustrator and author. Born in Beckenham, Kent and educated at Dulwich College and Goldsmiths' College, he spent most of his career as a freelance illustrator....
. - The Silver BranchThe Silver Branch (Sutcliff novel)The Silver Branch is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1957, with illustrations by Charles Keeping...
(1957) illustrated by Charles KeepingCharles KeepingCharles William James Keeping was a British illustrator, children's book author and lithographer. He first came to prominence with his illustrations for Rosemary Sutcliff's historical novels for children, and he created more than twenty picture books...
. - Frontier Wolf (1980)
- The Lantern BearersThe Lantern Bearers (Sutcliff novel)The Lantern Bearers is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1959, with illustrations by Charles Keeping...
(1959) illustrated by Charles Keeping. - Sword at SunsetSword at SunsetSword at Sunset is a 1963 book by Rosemary Sutcliff, part of her The Eagle of the Ninth series. It is a modern interpretation of the legends of King Arthur....
(1963) - Dawn WindDawn WindDawn Wind is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1961 by Oxford University Press, with illustrations by Charles Keeping....
(1961) illustrated by Charles Keeping. - Sword Song (1997) published posthumously.
- Shield Ring (1956)
- Three Legions (1980) is an omnibus edition containing the original Eagle of the Ninth trilogy: Eagle of the Ninth, Silver Branch and Lantern Bearers. (reissued in 2010 as Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles)
Arthurian novels
- Sword at SunsetSword at SunsetSword at Sunset is a 1963 book by Rosemary Sutcliff, part of her The Eagle of the Ninth series. It is a modern interpretation of the legends of King Arthur....
(1963) also a part of the Eagle of the Ninth series - The Sword and the CircleThe Sword and the CircleThe Sword and the Circle: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a children's novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1981. It is a retelling of the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table...
(1981) - The Light Beyond the ForestThe Light Beyond the ForestThe Light Beyond the Forest: The Quest for the Holy Grail is the second book in Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthurian trilogy. While the previous book, The Sword and the Circle, is a collection of Arthurian tales including the creation of the Round Table, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Beaumains the...
(1979) - The Road to CamlannThe Road to CamlannThe Road to Camlann: The Death of King Arthur is the third book in Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthurian trilogy, after The Sword and the Circle and The Light Beyond the Forest...
(1981) - The King Arthur Trilogy, (1999), an omnibus edition containing Sword and the Circle, Light Beyond the Forest and Road to Camlann
Other children's novels
- Chronicles of Robin Hood (1950)
- The Queen Elizabeth StoryThe Queen Elizabeth StoryThe Queen Elizabeth Story is a children fiction novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. It was first published in 1950....
(1950) illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. - The Armourer's HouseThe Armourer's HouseThe 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...
(1951) illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. - Brother Dustyfeet (1952)
- SimonSimon (novel)Simon is a children's historical novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff, first published in 1953. It is set during the English Civil War, and shows the effect of the conflict on two friends, who find themselves on opposite sides...
(1953) illustrated by C. Walter Hodges. The third edition, 1979, illustrated by Richard Kennedy. - OutcastOutcast (Sutcliff novel)Outcast is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1955.It takes place in Roman Britain and tells the tale of an orphaned Roman child who is shipwrecked on a coast of Dumnonia in Celtic Britain, outside of Roman rule...
(1955) illustrated by Richard Kennedy. - Warrior ScarletWarrior ScarletWarrior Scarlet is a historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. It was first published by Oxford University Press and illustrated by Charles Keeping. It was soon published in the USA by Henry Z. Walck, New York, later in 1958.-Plot introduction:...
(1958) illustrated by Charles Keeping. - Knight's Fee (1960) illustrated by Charles Keeping.
- Bridge Builders (1960)
- Beowulf: Dragonslayer (1961) illustrated by Charles Keeping; retells the Anglo-Saxon epic poem BeowulfBeowulfBeowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
. - The Hound of Ulster (1963) illustrated by Victor AmbrusVictor AmbrusVictor Ambrus , is an illustrator best known for his regular appearances on the Channel 4 archaeology television series Time Team, where he visualises how the sites being excavated may have once looked...
; retells the story of the IrishIrish mythologyThe mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
hero CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
. - The Mark of the Horse Lord (1965) illustrated by Charles Keeping.
- A Saxon Settler (People of the Past series) (1965)
- The Chief's Daughter (1967)
- The High Deeds of Finn MacCoolThe High Deeds of Finn MacCoolThe High Deeds of Finn Mac Cool is a children's novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1967. It is a retelling of the stories of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fenian Cycle...
(1967), illustrated by Michael Charleton. - A Circlet of Oak Leaves (1968)
- The Witch's Brat (1970)
- Tristan and IseultTristan and Iseult (novel)Tristan and Iseult is a children's novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and was first published in 1971. A re-telling of an ancient story, it received the Boston-Globe Horn Book Award in 1972 , and was runner-up for the 1972 Carnegie medal ....
(1971) - The Truce of the Games (1971)
- Heather, Oak, and Olive contains 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") (1972).
- The Capricorn Bracelet (1973) illustrated by Charles Keeping (a collection of six inter-connected short stories, following several generations of Roman soldiers serving at Hadrian's Wall from the 1st to the 4th centuries)
- The Changeling (1974) illustrated by Victor Ambrus.
- We Lived in Drumfyvie (1975) with Margaret Lyford-Pike.
- Blood FeudBlood Feud (novel)Blood Feud is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1976.It begins in 10th Century England, and tells the tale of an orphaned child of a Celtic father and Saxon mother, who is caught up with the Vikings and ultimately journeys all the way to Constantinople...
(1976) illustrated by Charles Keeping. - Sun Horse, Moon HorseSun Horse, Moon HorseSun Horse, Moon Horse is a historical novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1977.It takes place in Bronze Age Britain, telling the tale of a chieftain's son of the Iceni who is caught up in a conflict with the neighboring Attribates, and plays an instrumental part in...
(1977) - Shifting Sands (1977)
- Song for a Dark Queen (1978); retells the legend of the Celtic Queen BoudicaBoudicaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
. - Eagle's Egg (1981)
- Bonnie Dundee (1983), the story of John Graham, 1st Viscount of DundeeJohn Graham, 1st Viscount of DundeeJohn Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee , known as the 7th Laird of Claverhouse until raised to the viscounty in 1688, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian...
and the First Jacobite Uprising. - Flame-coloured Taffeta (1986)
- The Roundabout Horse (1986) illustrated by Alan Marks.
- A Little Dog Like You (1987) illustrated by Victor Ambrus.
- The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff (1987) contains Warrior Scarlet, The Mark of the Horse Lord, and Knight's Fee in one volume.
- The Shining Company (1990) retells the events described in the medieval WelshWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
poem Y GododdinY GododdinY Gododdin is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Britonnic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a place named Catraeth...
. - The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (1993) illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark. Also serialised in Cricket MagazineCricket (magazine)Cricket is an illustrated literary magazine for children published in the United States, founded in September 1973 by Marianne Carus, whose intent was to create "The New Yorker for children." Marianne Carus still serves as the magazine's editor-in-chief.Each issue of Cricket is 64 pages...
. - Black Ships Before TroyBlack Ships Before TroyBlack Ships Before Troy is a novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff, illustrated by Alan Lee and published in 1993.It takes place during the Trojan War, retelling the Iliad, with text by Sutcliff and detailed color illustrations on nearly every page by Lee. It is broken into 19 chapters...
(1993) illustrated by Alan Lee; retells the IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
. Published posthumously. Also serialised in Cricket Magazine. - Chess-dream in a Garden (1993) published posthumously.
- The Wanderings of Odysseus (1995), illustrated by Alan Lee. Published posthumously.
Non-fiction
- Rudyard Kipling (1960); a monographMonographA monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
. - Heroes and History (1965) illustrated by Charles Keeping.
- Blue Remembered Hills (1983); an autobiography.
- History is People, an essay published in Children and Literature: Views and Reviews, ed, Virginia Haviland. Scott, Foresman, c1973.
Novels for adults
- Lady in WaitingLady in Waiting (novel)Lady in Waiting is a historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff and first published in 1957.It is set in the Elizabethan era and beginning of the Stuart period of England, telling the life story of Sir Walter Raleigh, primarily through the viewpoint of his wife, Bess Throckmorton...
(1957); set in Tudor England - the story of Bess Throckmorton, wife of Sir Walter Raleigh - Rider on a White Horse (1959); set in 17th century England during the Civil Wars period - a novel about Parliamentarian general Sir Thomas Fairfax and his wife Anne, who travelled on campaign with him.
- Sword at SunsetSword at SunsetSword at Sunset is a 1963 book by Rosemary Sutcliff, part of her The Eagle of the Ninth series. It is a modern interpretation of the legends of King Arthur....
(1963); set in post-Roman Britain - a story of King Arthur as the Romano-Celtic warrior prince he might have been. - The Flowers of Adonis (1969); set in ancient Greece - about the brilliant but erratic Athenian general Alkibiades and the Peloponnesian WarPeloponnesian WarThe Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
- Blood and Sand (1987); set during the Napoleonic Wars period, based on the life of Thomas Keith, an historical figure. Keith was a young Scottish soldier with the 78th Highlanders, captured in Egypt by Turkish forces in 1807. He converted to Islam, taking the name Ibrahim Aga, and becoming, in 1812, governor of Medina.
Autobiography, Biography and Critical Works
- Blue Remembered Hills (1983); Sutcliff's memoir of her youth.
- Rosemary Sutcliff: Henry Z Walck, Inc., New York (1962); a brief biographical monograph and critical study by Margaret Meek.
- John Rowe Towmsend, Rosemary Sutcliff, a critical essay in A Sense of Story: Essays on Contemporary Writers for Children, London, Longman (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, N.J., & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. (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 Vol.19, No.1, Spring 1994, pp. 25–31.
Book Awards
- 1959: The Carnegie MedalCarnegie MedalThe Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
, The Lantern Bearers - 1968: The Hans Christian Andersen AwardHans Christian Andersen AwardThe Hans Christian Andersen Award, sometimes known as the "Nobel Prize for children's literature", is an international award given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People in recognition of a "lasting contribution to children's literature"...
, nominated - 1971: Zilveren Griffel – Silver Pencil, in Holland
- 1972: The Boston Globe-Horn Book AwardBoston Globe-Horn Book AwardThe Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards were first presented by The Boston Globe and Horn Book Magazine in 1967. They are among the most prestigious honors in the United States in the field of children’s and young adult literature...
, Tristan and Iseult - 1974: The Hans Christian Andersen Award, highly commended
- 1978: The Other Award, Song for a Dark Queen
- 1985: The Phoenix AwardPhoenix AwardThe Phoenix Award is awarded annually to a book originally published in English twenty years previously which did not receive a major award at the time of its publication....
, The Mark of the Horse Lord - 2010: The Phoenix Award, The Shining Company
External links
- Official website about the author and her books, TV scripts, films, TV versions and life by Anthony Lawton, Rosemary Sutcliff's godchild and literary executor.
- An appreciation of Rosemary Sutcliff
- Margaret Meek, Of the Minstrel Kind, article published as a tribute to Rosemary Sutcliff at seventy in Books for Keeps, No. 64, September 1990.
- Article about Rosemary Sutcliff at the Historical Novels Info website
- Green Man article about Sutcliff's Roman Britain novels. Provides synopses and discusses the chronology of the series in relation to their historical settings.
- Radio NZ Saturday Morning programme, 5 February, 2011. Award-winning New Zealand children's author Kate de Goldi discusses the work of Rosemary Sutcliff. (Listen or download options)