Lorna Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorna Hill
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| Born | Lorna Leatham 21 February 1902 Durham, England |
| Died | 17 August 1991 (aged 89) Keswick, Cumbria, England |
| Occupation | Novelist, teacher |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1948–1978 |
| Notable works | Marjorie series, Sadlers Wells series |
Lorna Hill was an English author. She wrote more than 40 popular books for children. Her stories remained well-loved even into the 21st century. Lorna was born Lorna Leatham on February 21, 1902, in Durham, England. She passed away on August 17, 1991, in Keswick, Cumbria.
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Lorna Hill's Early Life and Education
Lorna grew up in England. She went to Durham High School for Girls. Later, she studied at a special school in Lausanne, Switzerland. She earned a degree in English literature from Durham University in 1926. There, she met Victor Hill, who would become her husband. He was a clergyman. They married in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1928. In 1931, they moved to a quiet village called Matfen in Northumberland.
How Lorna Hill Started Writing Books
Lorna's writing career began thanks to her daughter, Vicki. When Vicki was about ten, she found a story her mother had written as a child. Vicki loved it and wanted more adventures with the characters. This led Lorna to write a series of eight books. These books were about a character named Marjorie & Co. Lorna even drew the pictures for these books herself. The first Marjorie book was published in London in 1948. After this, she wrote the Patience series and many other stories.
The Sadler's Wells Ballet Series
Lorna's daughter, Vicki, later left home to study ballet. She went to the famous Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. Lorna missed Vicki a lot. To feel closer to her, Lorna started writing the Dream of Sadler's Wells series. These books were all about ballet and dancers.
Lorna Hill wrote a total of 40 children's books. She also wrote a book about a famous dancer named Marie Taglioni. In 1978, she published two romance novels for adults. Sadly, Lorna had to stop writing because of health problems. She was known for being strong when dealing with publishers. She earned more money from her books than many other writers of her time. Her books were translated into many languages. These included Finnish, Indonesian, Czech, and Slovenian.
Lorna Hill's Later Life
In her personal life, Lorna cared deeply about animal rights. This sometimes caused disagreements with local farmers. Later in life, she moved to Keswick, Cumbria. She lived there with her daughter, Vicki. Lorna Hill passed away on August 17, 1991.
Some of Lorna Hill's children's books were reprinted in 2011 by Girls Gone By Publishers. However, by 2019, they were no longer being printed. In 1948, a publishing magazine called The Publisher said something special about Lorna Hill. They wrote that she "writes the kind of books children would write for, and about, themselves if they could." This shows how well she understood young readers.
Lorna Hill's Book Series
Here are some of the popular book series Lorna Hill wrote for children:
The Marjorie Series
- Marjorie and Co (1948)
- Stolen Holiday (1948)
- Border Peel (1950)
- Northern Lights (1999, written in 1941 but published later)
- Castle in Northumbria (1953)
- No Medals for Guy (1962)
The Sadler's Wells Series
- A Dream of Sadlers Wells (1950)
- Veronica at the Wells (1951)
- Masquerade at the Wells (1952)
- No Castanets at the Wells (1953)
- Jane Leaves the Wells (1953)
- Ella at the Wells (1954)
- Return to the Wells (1955)
- Rosanna Joins the Wells (1956)
- Principal Rôle (1957)
- Swan Feather (1958)
- Dress-Rehearsal (1959)
- Back-Stage (1960)
- Vicki in Venice (1962)
- The Secret (1964)
The Patience Series
- They Called Her Patience (1951)
- It Was All Through Patience (1952)
- So Guy Came Too (1954)
- The Five Shilling Holiday (1955)
The Dancing Peel Series
- Dancing Peel (1954)
- Dancer's Luck (1955)
- The Little Dancer (1956)
- Dancer in the Wings (1958)
- Dancer in Danger (1960)
- Dancer on Holiday (1962)
The Vicarage Children Series
- The Vicarage Children (1961)
- More About Mandy (1963)
- The Vicarage Children in Skye (1966)
