Lavinia Derwent facts for kids

Lavinia Derwent was a Scottish writer and broadcaster. Her real name was Elizabeth Dodd. She was born in 1909 and passed away in 1989. Elizabeth grew up in a quiet farmhouse in the Cheviot Hills of Scotland. This was near the town of Jedburgh. From a young age, she loved making up stories. Many of her early tales were about animals. She even wrote her own version of the famous dog story, Greyfriars Bobby.

Lavinia also wrote books about her own life. These included her Border and Manse series. For example, Border Bairn is about the Jedburgh area. Lady of the Manse is set in Berwickshire. Her Manse books shared stories from when she looked after her brother's home. He was a minister for the Church of Scotland.

Stories on the Radio and TV

Lavinia Derwent's first popular stories were about a character called Tammy Troot. These stories were read on Scottish Radio in the 1920s. They were part of a show called Auntie Kathleen's Children's Hour. The first Tammy Troot book came out in 1947. These books were so popular they were still being printed in the 1970s!

In the 1970s, Lavinia also helped present a TV show. It was called Teatime Tales on STV. On this show, she shared stories from her own childhood. She took turns presenting with other well-known people like Molly Weir.

The Sula Island Books

Lavinia Derwent wrote a series of books about a make-believe island. This island was called Sula. These stories were very popular. They were even featured on the BBC show Jackanory. On Jackanory, the stories were read by John Cairney. The Sula books were also made into their own television series.

The original books in the Sula series were:

• Sula
• Return to Sula
• The Boy From Sula
• Song of Sula

Other Books by Lavinia Derwent