Janet McNeill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Janet McNeill
Born	14 September 1907 Dublin, Ireland
Died	October 1994 (age 87) Bristol, United Kingdom
Occupation	Novelist, playwright
Nationality	Irish
Subject	Mid-20th century Northern Ireland

Janet McNeill (born September 14, 1907 – died October 1994) was a very busy Irish writer. She wrote more than 20 books for children, as well as novels for adults, plays, and even two opera stories (called libretti). She is best known for her fun children's fantasy series, My Friend Specs McCann.

Biography

Early Life and Family

Janet McNeill was born in Dublin, Ireland, on September 14, 1907. Her father, Rev. William McNeill, was a church minister. In 1913, her family moved to Birkenhead, England. Janet went to school there and later studied classic literature at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, finishing her degree in 1929. While at university, she enjoyed writing and acting with the College Players group.

In 1924, her family moved back to Ireland because her father was not well. He became a minister in Rostrevor, County Down, in Northern Ireland. Janet started working as a secretary for the Belfast Telegraph newspaper.

In 1933, she married Robert Alexander, who was a chief engineer in Belfast. They settled in Lisburn and had four sons. Janet wanted to write her first novel early on. However, she found it hard to write seriously until her children were older. She once said it took "twenty five [years] before I produced the book."

Writing Career

In 1946, Janet McNeill won a prize in a BBC competition for her play called Gospel Truth. After this, she started writing plays for the radio, which were broadcast by the BBC.

In 1953, she had a serious illness. While she was recovering, she began writing novels for both adults and children. She wrote many books between 1955 and 1964. Her popular children's character, Specs McCann, first appeared in a book in 1955. This character was so popular that he also inspired a newspaper cartoon strip. This cartoon was drawn by Rowel Friers, an artist from Belfast who was a friend of McNeill's.

Her 1944 novel, The Maiden Dinosaur, was published in the United States 22 years later. She also had three writing credits for television shows and plays. Some of her plays were performed at the Ulster Group Theatre.

In 1964, her husband retired, and they moved to Bristol, England. Janet McNeill wrote one more novel after leaving Northern Ireland. She continued to write children's books for another ten years. During this time, she wrote her only children's play, which was published in 1968. Her children's book The Battle of St. George Without was made into a TV show by the BBC in 1969. She had some health problems and passed away in 1994.

Writing Style

Janet McNeill's writing style has been described as "elegant." She was known for how she gently handled strong feelings in her stories.

Other Activities

Janet McNeill was the chairman of the Belfast Centre of Irish PEN from 1956 to 1957. This is a group that supports writers. She was also a member of the Northern Ireland advisory council for the BBC from 1959 to 1964. She also served as a justice of the peace, which is a person who helps with legal matters.

Awards

• 1968: Honorary Book Award, Book World Children's Spring Festival for The Battle of St. George Without.

Works

Novels

Short Fiction

• A Light Dozen (Faber, 1957)
• Special Occasions (Faber, 1960)
• Wait For It, and Other Stories (Faber, 1972)
• Just Turn the Key, and Other Stories (Hamish Hamilton, 1976)

Children's Books

Plays

• Gospel Truth (H. R. Carter, [1951])
• Signs and Wonders ([q.pub.], 1951)
• Switch-On, Switch-Off and Other Plays (Faber, 1968)