Barbara Nichol facts for kids

Barbara Nichol is an award-winning Canadian author, playwright, and television scriptwriter. She is famous for writing popular books for young readers, family audio dramas, and educational children's television programs. One of her most famous works is Beethoven Lives Upstairs, which introduced thousands of young people to classical music.

Who is Barbara Nichol?

Barbara Nichol is a talented Canadian storyteller who works across many different types of media. She writes books, stage plays, television episodes, and radio documentaries.

Throughout her career, Nichol has focused on making art, history, and literature fun and accessible for young audiences. Her stories often feature humor, clever poems, and creative looks at historical events. She has won major awards in Canada and the United States for her contributions to children's entertainment and literature.

Early life and education

Childhood in Vancouver

Barbara Nichol was born around 1956 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She grew up in a family that had a deep passion for culture, public service, and the arts.

Her father was John Lang Nichol, a Canadian politician and community leader. Her mother, Elizabeth Fellowes, was deeply involved in the Canadian art world and founded the famous Equinox Gallery in Vancouver.

Schooling and artistic family

Nichol attended Westcot Elementary School and Crofton House School in Vancouver. Later, she studied at Elmwood School in Ottawa, Ontario. She also attended The Branson School in Ross, California, and St Clare's, Oxford in England.

Creativity ran strong in her family:

• Her sister Marjorie Nichol became an accomplished radio journalist and executive producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
• Her sister Sarah Milroy became a well-known art critic and the Director of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Nichol later pursued higher education at the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia. Rather than finishing a traditional degree, she decided to begin working directly in creative writing and broadcasting.

Writing and broadcasting career

Work with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Nichol started working in radio and television broadcasting early in her career. Radio requires strong storytelling skills because listeners rely entirely on sound to imagine scenes and characters.

She wrote and produced more than 25 radio documentaries for the CBC. Her radio features explored history, humor, and everyday life in Canada. She also wrote comedy sketches and articles for various magazines and radio programs.

Writing for Sesame Street

From 1985 to 1994, Nichol served as a core writer for the Canadian version of Sesame Street. The show used puppetry, comedy, and short stories to teach young viewers about reading, mathematics, friendship, and problem-solving.

Nichol also worked as a script editor on international editions of the program. In 1994, she earned a prestigious Daytime Emmy Award nomination for writing the special television episode Sesame Street: Basil Hears a Noise.

Beethoven Lives Upstairs and classical music projects

One of Nichol's most famous creations is Beethoven Lives Upstairs, released in 1989. The story follows a young boy named Christoph who lives in Vienna, Austria.

Christoph is upset when the eccentric and loud composer Ludwig van Beethoven moves into the upstairs room of his house. Through a series of letters to his uncle, Christoph learns about Beethoven's deafness, his creative struggles, and his musical genius.

The project began as an audio drama combining dramatic voice acting with Beethoven's greatest symphonies. It achieved huge success around the world:

• It won a Canadian Juno Award for Best Children's Album.
• It achieved multi-platinum sales status, selling hundreds of thousands of copies.
• Nichol turned the story into a popular picture book illustrated by Scott Cameron in 1989.
• The story was adapted into a live-action film in 1992.

Following this success, Nichol directed and produced the audio drama series A Story For A Child, which also earned a Juno Award nomination.

Magazine editing and theater work

In 2003, Nichol helped launch The Walrus, a prominent Canadian general-interest magazine featuring journalism, essays, and fiction. She served as one of its founding editors.

Nichol also wrote for the theater. She wrote the book and song lyrics for The Sparrow Songs: A Country Song String, with music composed by Tom Bellman. The musical was showcased at the SummerWorks Performance Festival in 2011 and staged at Toronto's Canadian Stage in 2012.

Major children's books and publications

Poetic and playful picture books

Nichol has written many original picture books and poetry collections that encourage children to explore language and rhythm.

Biscuits in the Cupboard

Published in 1997 with illustrations by Philippe Béha, Biscuits in the Cupboard is a humorous collection of rhymes about dogs. The poems capture the quirky, loving, and mischievous personalities of family pets. The book won the prestigious Mr. Christie's Book Award.

Dippers

Published in 1997 and illustrated by Barry Moser, Dippers takes place during a fictional, sweltering summer in Toronto in 1912. The story imagines magical, deer-like creatures called dippers that swoop through the city skies on hot evenings. The book was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature.

Trunks All Aboard: An Elephant ABC

Published in 2001, this alphabet book uses rhythm, alliteration, and colorful elephant illustrations by W. Cornelius Van Horne to introduce young readers to the alphabet.

Classic adaptations and historical stories

Nichol has a strong interest in making classic world literature accessible to young readers. In 2004 and 2006, she wrote a two-part adaptation of Don Quixote, the famous Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Her retelling introduces middle-grade readers to the adventures of the eccentric knight and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza.

Complete list of published books

• Beethoven Lives Upstairs (1989), illustrated by Scott Cameron
• Biscuits in the Cupboard (1997), illustrated by Philippe Béha
• Dippers (1997), illustrated by Barry Moser
• One Small Garden (2001)
• Trunks All Aboard: An Elephant ABC (2001), illustrated by W. Cornelius Van Horne
• Safe and Sound (2003), illustrated by Anja Reichel
• Tales of Don Quixote, Book I (2004)
• Tales of Don Quixote, Book II (2006)
• The Lady from Kent: A Story for Girls and Boys and Bees Dressed Up As Fleas and Crocodiles. Also Elves (2018), illustrated by Bill Pechet

Awards and achievements

Barbara Nichol has received wide recognition for her work in film, radio, literature, and television.

Impact and legacy

Barbara Nichol's writing has helped millions of young people explore classical arts, literature, and history. Her work on Beethoven Lives Upstairs became a staple in music classrooms across North America, proving that classical history can be exciting and dramatic for kids. Through her television scripts, poetry, and stories, she remains one of Canada's most imaginative storytellers for young audiences.

Related pages

• Canadian literature
• Sesame Street
• Ludwig van Beethoven