Dorita Fairlie Bruce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorita Fairlie Bruce
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| Born | 20 May 1885 Palos, Spain
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| Died | 21 September 1970 (aged 85) Upper Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland
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| Nationality | Scottish |
| Other names | Dorothy Morris Fairlie Bruce |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Years active | 1905 – 1961 |
| Known for | School series which followed their protagonists through the years |
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Notable work
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The Dimsie series of books |
Dorita Fairlie Bruce (born May 20, 1885 – died September 21, 1970) was a Scottish author who wrote popular books for children. She is best known for her Dimsie series, which was published between 1921 and 1941. Her books were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, selling over half a million copies of the Dimsie books alone by 1947!
Contents
Early Life and Work
Dorita Fairlie Bruce was born Dorothy Morris Fairlie Bruce in Palos, Spain, on May 20, 1885. Her father, Alexander Fairlie Bruce, was a Scottish engineer working in Spain. Because she was born in Spain, Dorothy became known by the Spanish nickname "Dorita."
Her early childhood was spent in Scotland, in areas like the Campsie Hills, which later appeared in her stories. In 1895, her family moved to Ealing, London, when her father got a job building the Staines Reservoirs.
After moving to London, Dorita went to a boarding school called Clarence House. This school later became the inspiration for the "Jane Willard Foundation" in her Dimsie books. She often spent holidays with relatives in Scotland, especially around Largs in Ayrshire. This area became a very important setting in many of her books.
Besides writing, Dorita spent much of her life helping her family. She also did a lot of volunteer work. For over 30 years, she was involved with the Girls' Guildry, a uniformed organization for girls. She even became the President of its West London Centre for a while. This organization also appeared in her Nancy and Dimsie book series.
Even though she lived in London for many years, Dorita always felt like a Scottish writer. She often returned to Scotland for holidays, which is why her books have such detailed descriptions of Scottish landscapes. In 1949, she finally moved back to Scotland, to a house in Upper Skelmorlie, North Ayrshire. She named her house 'Triffeny' after one of her own books. She lived there for the last 21 years of her life, enjoying the amazing view of the Firth of Clyde, until she passed away at age 85 on September 21, 1970.
Becoming a Writer
Dorita started writing at a young age. She reportedly won a poetry competition when she was just six years old! She began using her pen name 'Dorita' in small, handwritten magazines. After finishing school, she wrote many poems and short stories for children's magazines and collections, starting around 1905. Many of her early short stories were set in Scotland.
Her first known school story, "The Rounders Match," was published in 1909. This story was set in a school called 'St. Hilary's,' which reminded readers of her own school, Clarence House. These early stories eventually led to her first novel, The Senior Prefect (1921), which was later renamed Dimsie Goes to School.
Dorita was a pioneer in writing book series that followed a group of girls through their school years and even into their adult lives. Her Dimsie, Nancy, and Springdale series all did this, and many other authors copied her style.
Her Colmskirk series was different. These were nine novels for older teens, focusing on families in the Scottish countryside around Largs. These books covered a long period, from the 1600s to the 1900s.
Books and Series
Dorita Fairlie Bruce wrote many books, often grouped into popular series. A cool thing about her series (except for the Sally books) is that characters from one series sometimes pop up in another! For example, Dimsie and her friends appear in the Springdale books. This made her loyal readers feel like they were part of a bigger world of stories.
Dimsie Series
Dorita Bruce's most famous books are the nine 'Dimsie' books. Seven of these are set at the 'Jane Willard Foundation' school in Kent, England. The other two take place at Dimsie's family home in Scotland. The school in the books is based on Dorita's own old school, Clarence House.
The Dimsie books follow Dimsie (whose full name is Daphne Isabel Maitland) from when she's a 10-year-old junior student all the way to becoming a popular head girl. The Dimsie books are famous for a group of six girls called the 'Anti-Soppists,' who work to do good things for the school.
Two of the Dimsie books, Dimsie Intervenes (1936) and the last book Dimsie Carries On (1941), were written because readers asked for more stories! The last book, set during World War II, shows Dimsie as a married woman with two children. The Dimsie books were incredibly popular, selling half a million copies by 1947.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1920 | The Senior Prefect AKA Dimsie goes to school | Walter Paget | London | OUP | 270 p. ill., 8º | 1 |
| 2 | 1921 | Dimsie Moves Up | Walter Paget | London | OUP | 254 p. ill., 8º | 2 |
| 3 | 1922 | Dimsie Moves Up Again, etc | Gertrude Demain Hammond | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 3 |
| 4 | 1923 | Dimsie among the Prefects, etc | Gertrude Demain Hammond | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 4 |
| 5 | 1924 | Dimsie Grows Up, etc | Henry Coller | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 7 |
| 6 | 1925 | Dimsie, Head-Girl, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | 280 p., 8º | 5 |
| 7 | 1927 | Dimsie Goes Back, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | viii, 277 p., 8º | 8 |
| 8 | 1932 | The Dimsie Omnibus | London | OUP | 3 parts, 8º | ||
| 9 | 1933 | The New Dimsie Omnibus | London | OUP | 3 parts, 8º | ||
| 10 | 1937 | Dimsie Intervenes | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 286 p., 8º | 6 |
| 11 | 1942 | Dimsie carries on | W. Bryce Hamilton | London | OUP | 254 p. ill., 8º | 9 |
| 12 | 1985 | Dimsie Takes Charge | Wendover | Goodchild | 224 p., 8º | 10 |
The St. Bride's and Maudsley (Nancy) Series
This series of school stories is actually two different series connected by the character of Nancy Caird. The three 'St. Bride's' books are set on an island in the 'Hebrides' (a group of islands off the coast of Scotland). The five 'Maudsley' books are set in a day school in southern England. The Maudsley books are especially known for showing the Girls' Guildry in action. The last Nancy book, Nancy Calls the Tune (1944), is about life in a small Scottish town during World War II.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1923 | The Girls of St. Bride's, etc | Henry Coller | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 1 |
| 2 | 1925 | That Boarding School Girl | Roy | London | OUP | 160 p., 8º | 3 |
| 3 | 1926 | The New Girl and Nancy, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 4 |
| 4 | 1927 | Nancy to the Rescue | London | OUP | 159 p., 8º | 5 | |
| 5 | 1931 | The best bat in the school | D. Osborne | London | OUP | 95 p., 8º | 6 |
| 6 | 1933 | Nancy at St Bride's | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 2 |
| 7 | 1935 | Nancy in the Sixth | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 7 |
| 8 | 1937 | The Dorita Bruce Omnibus | London | OUP | 3 parts, 8º | ||
| 9 | 1938 | Nancy Returns to St. Bride's, etc | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 8 |
| 10 | 1944 | Nancy calls the Tune | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | 192 p., 8º | 9 |
The Springdale Series
The six 'Springdale' books are Dorita Bruce's most Scottish school stories. They are set in a small seaside town called 'Redchurch,' which is very much like Largs. Springdale is a much larger school than Jane's, with several different houses and a more complex system for student leaders. These books follow a group of friends, including Anne Willoughby and Primula Mary Beton, through their school days.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1928 | The New House-Captain, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 1 |
| 2 | 1930 | The Best House in the School, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | 287 p., 8º | 2 |
| 3 | 1932 | Captain of Springdale, etc | Henry Coller | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 3 |
| 4 | 1934 | The new house at Springdale | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 4 |
| 5 | 1935 | The Springdale Omnibus | London | OUP | 3 parts, 8º | ||
| 6 | 1936 | Prefects at Springdale, etc | M. D. Johnson | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 5 |
| 7 | 1939 | Captain Anne, etc | London | OUP | 288 p., 8º | 6 |
The Toby and Sally Series
Her last two sets of school stories are shorter. The 'Toby' books are set in two very different schools: The School on the Moor on Dartmoor and The School in the Wood in the New Forest. There's also a follow-up story set during the war, Toby at Tibbs Cross.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 1931 | The School on the Moor, etc | Mary Strange Reeve | London | OUP | 285 p., 8º | 1 |
| 26 | 1940 | The School in the Woods, etc | G. M. Anson | London | OUP | 256 p., 8º | 2 |
| 28 | 1943 | Toby at Tibbs Cross | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | 192 p., 8º | 3 |
The three 'Sally' books were her very last. They return to Scotland, but their stories are a bit different from her earlier school tales. What makes this series special is that the characters are unique and don't connect to her other series.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1956 | Sally Scatterbrain | Betty Ladler | London | Blackie & Son | 253 p., 8º | 1 |
| 2 | 1959 | Sally again | Betty Ladler | London | Blackie & Son | 238 p., 8º | 2 |
| 3 | 1961 | Sally's Summer Term | Joan Thompson | London | Blackie & Son | 224 p., 8º | 3 |
The Colmskirk Series
The 'Colmskirk' series is different from her school stories. These are nine novels for young adults about families living in and around Largs ('Colmskirk') and West Kilbride ('Kirkarlie') in Scotland. The stories cover a long time, from the 1600s to after World War II. The first four books in this series are historical. Dorita Bruce probably thought of these as her more "serious" works. They include many details about Scottish history and local traditions.
| Ser. | Year | Title | Illustrator | Location | Publisher | p. | Ord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1930 | The King's curate | London | John Murray | 316 p, 8º | 1 | |
| 2 | 1932 | Mistress-Mariner | London | John Murray | 365 p., 8º | 2 | |
| 3 | 1945 | A Laverock lilting | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | 190 p., 8vo. | 3 |
| 4 | 1945 | Wild goose quest | London | Lutterworth Press | 256 p., 8º | 5 | |
| 5 | 1947 | The Serendipity Shop | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | 205 p., 8º | 6 |
| 6 | 1950 | Triffeny | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | viii, 275 p. | 6 |
| 7 | 1952 | The Bees on Drumwhinnie | Margaret Horder | London | OUP | 273 p., 8º | 4 |
| 8 | 1953 | The Debatable Mound | Patricia M. Lambe | London | OUP | vii, 232 p., 8º | 8 |
| 9 | 1955 | The Bartle Bequest | Sylvia Green | London | OUP | vii, 253 p., 8º | 9 |
Other Stories
- Erica the Ever-right in The Great Book of School Stories for Girls, Mrs Herbert Strang (ed.), (c.1930s), Humphrey Milford, OUP
Places in Dorita Bruce's Books
Dorita Fairlie Bruce often used real places as inspiration for the settings in her books.
Clarence House – Jane Willard Foundation
The school buildings and grounds of "Jane's" in the Dimsie books were based on Dorita Bruce's old school in South West London, called Clarence House. This building was used as a girls' school from 1867 to about 1919. Sadly, the buildings were torn down in 1934. Today, the area where Clarence House once stood is home to the National Tennis Centre.
St. Margaret's Bay – St. Elstrith's Bay
About 6 kilometers west of Dover, this bay is likely the real-life location for 'St. Elstrith's Bay' in her books. This area was a popular seaside resort until World War II. The white cliffs and caves in the bay, which were once used by smugglers, are very similar to descriptions in the Dimsie books. You can still see the South Forland Lighthouse, which was the 'old lighthouse' in the Dimsie stories.
Largs and the Firth of Clyde Area
The area around Largs and the Firth of Clyde in Scotland is a very important setting in Dorita Bruce's books. Nearly half of her stories take place here! Largs is a lovely seaside town with beautiful views of the Firth of Clyde and the Cumbrae Islands. This town is the inspiration for 'Redchurch' in the Springdale and St. Bride's books, and 'Colmskirk' in the Colmskirk novels. Both names come from the local church, St. Columba's, which is made of red sandstone and has a tall spire. If you visit Largs, you can still find places that might remind you of the Springdale or Colmskirk characters!
Why Her Books Are Great
The Dundee Courier newspaper once said that Dorita Bruce was "a writer who makes girlhood real in a delightful way." She was considered one of the "Big Four" authors of girls' school fiction, along with Angela Brazil, Elsie Oxenham, and Elinor Brent-Dye.
What makes Dorita Bruce's school stories special is how they focus on the characters and their relationships. Her books aren't just about exciting adventures (though those happen too!). They explore how girls interact, form friendships, deal with rivalries, and solve problems within their school community.
Experts say that Dorita Bruce was very skilled at creating her plots. Her stories are well-built, and the school settings feel very real. She was great at showing the relationships between schoolgirls of different ages, and how friendships and rivalries could create interesting situations. Even the mysteries and adventures in her books fit perfectly into the main story. Many people believe that the overall quality of her books is higher than some other popular authors of her time.
Her Dimsie, Nancy, and Springdale series are often called her most memorable books. Some even say these three series include "some of the best girls' school stories ever written."
Finding Her Books Today
Unlike some other authors from her time, Dorita Bruce's books were not reprinted in many new paperback editions. While some new versions of the Dimsie books came out in the 1980s, they were often changed a lot from the originals.
Some nice, complete paperback editions of her books were published by Girls Gone By Publishers#Dorita Fairlie Bruce. However, these are now out of print, which means you can usually only find them from second-hand book sellers. These special editions often have interesting introductions and the original pictures and cover art.
