Jane Gardam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jane Gardam OBE FRSL
Born	Jean Mary Pearson (1928-07-11)11 July 1928 Coatham, England
Died	28 April 2025(2025-04-28) (aged 96) Chipping Norton, England
Occupation	Writer critic
Alma mater	Bedford College, London
Period	1971–2014
Genre	Children's fiction Adult fiction
Notable works	God on the Rocks The Queen of the Tambourine Old Filth
Notable awards	Phoenix Award Booker Prize BBC National Short Story Award
Spouse	David Gardam ​ ​ (m. 1954; died 2010)​
Children	3, including Tim

Jane Mary Gardam was a famous English writer. She wrote many books for both children and adults. She also wrote reviews for newspapers and worked for BBC Radio. Jane won several important awards for her writing. She was known for her interesting stories and characters.

About Jane Gardam

Jane Gardam was born Jean Mary Pearson on July 11, 1928. Her birthplace was Coatham, in North Yorkshire, England. She grew up in different parts of Yorkshire.

Early Life and Education

When Jane was seventeen, she won a special scholarship. This allowed her to study English at Bedford College, London. She earned her degree in English in 1949. After college, Jane worked in jobs related to books and writing. She was a librarian for hospitals and later a journalist.

Family Life

In 1954, Jane married David Gardam. They had three children together. Their children were Tim, Catharine (Kitty), and Tom. Sadly, her daughter Kitty passed away in 2011. Jane's husband, David, passed away in 2010. Jane Gardam herself passed away on April 28, 2025, at the age of 96.

Starting Her Writing Career

Jane Gardam's first book was for children. It was called A Long Way From Verona and came out in 1971. This book tells the story of a 13-year-old girl. It later won the Phoenix Award in 1991. This award celebrates great children's books that didn't win a major prize when they were first published.

Later Works and Recognition

Jane Gardam wrote many novels for adults too. Some of her later books explored similar ideas from different viewpoints. These included Old Filth (2004), The Man in the Wooden Hat (2009), and Last Friends (2013). Critics praised her writing style. They noted how well she created complex stories and characters. In 2015, Old Filth was even voted one of the 100 greatest British novels.

Jane received many honors for her work. She won the Whitbread Award twice. In 2009, she was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honor. She also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2005.

Jane Gardam's Books

Jane Gardam wrote many different kinds of books. She wrote for both young readers and adults.

Books for Children

• A Long Way from Verona (1971)
• A Few Fair Days (1971)
• The Summer After the Funeral (1973)
• Bridget and William (1981)
• The Hollow Land (1981) – This book won the 1983 Whitbread Children's Book Award.
• Horse (1982)
• Kit (1983)
• Kit in Boots (1986)
• Swan (1987)
• Through the Doll's House Door (1987)
• Black Woolly Pony (1993)
• Tufty Bear (1996)
• The Kit Stories (1998)

Short Story Collections

• Black Faces, White Faces (1975)
• The Sidmouth Letters (1980)
• The Pangs of Love and Other Stories (1983)
• Showing the Flag and Other Stories (1989)
• Trio: Three Stories from Cheltenham (1993)
• Going into a Dark House (1994)
• Missing the Midnight (1997)
• The Green Man (1998)
• The People on Privilege Hill (2007)
• The Stories of Jane Gardam (2014)

Novels for Adults

• Bilgewater (1977)
• God on the Rocks (1978) – This book was nominated for the Booker Prize.
• Crusoe's Daughter (1985)
• The Queen of the Tambourine (1991) – This book won the Whitbread Novel Award.
• Faith Fox (1996)
• The Flight of the Maidens (2000)
• Old Filth (2004)
• The Man in the Wooden Hat (2009)
• Last Friends (2013)

Non-fiction Book

• The Iron Coast (1994)