Lucilla Andrews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucilla Matthew Andrews Crichton
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| Born | Lucilla Matthew Andrews 20 November 1919 Suez, Egypt |
| Died | 3 October 2006 (aged 86) Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Pen name | Lucilla Andrews, Diana Gordon, Joanna Marcus |
| Occupation | Nurse, novelist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1954–1996 |
| Genre | Romance |
| Spouse | James Crichton (1947–1954) |
| Children | Veronica Crichton |
Lucilla Matthew Andrews Crichton (born November 20, 1919, in Suez, Egypt – died October 3, 2006, in Edinburgh, Scotland) was a British writer. She wrote 33 romance novels between 1954 and 1996.
She was known as Lucilla Andrews for her hospital romance stories. She also used the pen names Diana Gordon and Joanna Marcus to write mystery romances. Lucilla Andrews was a founding member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. This group gave her a special award for her life's work shortly before she passed away.
About Lucilla Andrews
Lucilla Matthew Andrews was born on November 20, 1919. She was born in Suez, Egypt. She was the third of four children. Her parents were William Henry Andrews and Lucilla Quero-Bejar. They met in Gibraltar and got married in 1913.
Her mother's father was a Spanish doctor. Her family had roots in Spanish nobility. Lucilla's British father worked for the Eastern Telegraph Company. This company later became Cable and Wireless. He worked at stations in Africa and the Mediterranean until 1932. When Lucilla was three, she went to boarding school in Sussex with her older sister.
Becoming a Nurse and Writer
In 1940, Lucilla joined the British Red Cross. She was a VAD, which meant she helped nurses. Later, she trained to be a nurse herself. She studied at St Thomas' Hospital in London during World War II.
In 1947, she stopped nursing for a while. She married Dr. James Crichton. In 1949, their daughter Veronica was born. Soon after, her husband became ill. Lucilla went back to full-time nursing at night. During the day, she worked on her writing.
In 1952, she sold her first romance novel. It was published in 1954. This was the same year her husband died. Lucilla became known for writing stories about doctors and nurses in hospitals. She used her own experiences as a nurse to make her stories real.
Later Life and Awards
In 1969, Lucilla decided to move to Edinburgh, Scotland. Her daughter, Veronica, studied history at Newnham College, Cambridge. Veronica later became a journalist and worked as an adviser for the Labour Party. Sadly, Veronica passed away from cancer in 2002.
Lucilla was one of the first people to help start the Romantic Novelists' Association in 1960. This group gives awards to romance writers. She received their Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award. This special award was given to her in the Scottish Parliament. It happened shortly before she died.
Lucilla Andrews passed away on October 3, 2006. She died in Edinburgh, Scotland, in the UK.
Book Controversy
In late 2006, a book called No Time for Romance caused some discussion. This book was Lucilla Andrews' autobiography. An autobiography is a book someone writes about their own life.
Some people said that the famous novelist Ian McEwan used parts of Lucilla's book. They thought he used her descriptions of nursing during World War II. This was for his own novel, Atonement.
Ian McEwan said he did not copy her work. He had actually mentioned Lucilla's book on the back page of Atonement. He said it was an inspiration and a source for his story. Lucilla Andrews herself did not seem bothered by the connection between the books or the discussion.
