Gillian Freeman facts for kids

Gillian Freeman (born December 5, 1929 – died February 23, 2019) was a talented English writer. She wrote many books and screenplays. Her very first book, The Liberty Man, was published when she was working as a secretary. One of her most famous works was a fictional diary called Nazi Lady. Many people thought this diary was real because it was so well-written!

Early Life and Education

Gillian Freeman was born in North London. Her parents were Dr. Jack Freeman, a dentist, and Freda Davids. She went to Francis Holland School in London. During World War II, she also attended Lynton House school in Maidenhead.

In 1951, Gillian graduated from the University of Reading. She studied English and philosophy there. After college, she taught at a school in the East End. She also worked as a copywriter and a newspaper reporter.

Writing Career Highlights

Gillian Freeman's first book, The Liberty Man, came out in 1955. It was a story about a love affair between a schoolteacher and a sailor. She wrote it while working for the novelist Louis Golding. Her time with Golding later inspired some of her other stories.

Famous Novels and Screenplays

One of her most well-known books is The Leather Boys (1961). She first published it using the pen name Eliot George. This novel was later made into a film in 1964. Gillian wrote the screenplay for the film herself, this time using her real name.

In 1970, she wrote The Alabaster Egg. This was a sad romance story about a Jewish woman living in Nazi Germany. Later, in 1978, she wrote a fictional diary called Nazi Lady: The Diaries of Elisabeth von Stahlenberg, 1938–48. At first, no one knew Gillian had written it. Many readers believed it was a real diary from the war. It was even included in a collection of war diaries in 2004.

Other Creative Works

Besides novels, Gillian Freeman also wrote screenplays for movies. One of these was That Cold Day in the Park (1969), directed by Robert Altman. She also created the stories for two ballets by Kenneth MacMillan. These famous ballets were Isadora and Mayerling.

With her husband, she wrote Ballet Genius (1988). This book featured stories about 20 amazing ballet dancers. Her last book, But Nobody Lives in Bloomsbury (2006), was a fictional look at the Bloomsbury Group.

Personal Life

In 1955, Gillian Freeman married Edward Thorpe. He was a novelist and a ballet critic for the Evening Standard newspaper. They had two daughters together. Both of their daughters, Harriet Thorpe and Matilda Thorpe, became actresses.

Gillian Freeman passed away on February 23, 2019. She died from health problems related to dementia.

Works

• The Liberty Man, 1955
• Fall of Innocence, 1956
• Jack Would be a Gentleman, 1959
• The Story of Albert Einstein, 1960
• The Leather Boys, 1961
• The Campaign, 1963
• The Leather Boys (screenplay), 1964
• Only Lovers Left Alive (screenplay), 1965
• The Leader, 1965
• The Undergrowth of Literature, 1967
• That Cold Day in the Park (screenplay), 1969
• An Evasion of Women (short play), 1969
• The Alabaster Egg, 1970
• I Want What I Want (screenplay), 1972
• The Marriage Machine, 1975
• The Schoolgirl Ethic: The Life and Work of Angela Brazil, 1976
• Mayerling (ballet scenario), 1978
• Intimate Letters (ballet scenario), 1978
• Nazi Lady: The Diaries of Elisabeth von Stahlenberg, 1938–48, 1979
• An Easter Egg Hunt, 1981
• Isadora (ballet scenario), 1981
• Lovechild, 1984
• Life Before Man, 1986
• Ballet Genius: Twenty Great Dancers of the Twentieth Century (with Edward Thorpe), 1988
• Termination Rock, 1989
• His Mistress's Voice, 2000
• But Nobody Lives in Bloomsbury, 2006