Mary Cadogan facts for kids
Mary Cadogan (born Mary Summersby) was an English author who lived from 1928 to 2014. She loved writing about popular stories and books for children. She even wrote special books about the people who created famous characters like William Brown from the Just William series and Billy Bunter.
About Mary Cadogan
Mary Summersby was born in a place called Brentford.
Before World War II, she started working for the BBC, which is a big broadcasting company. There, she met many popular entertainers of that time. Later, she worked on BBC programs made for schools. In 1958, she began working for an Indian philosopher named Krishnamurti and stayed with him for almost twenty years.
Mary Cadogan's writing career started a bit later in her life. However, her first book, You're a Brick, Angela!, was an instant hit! She wrote many articles about the history of children's stories for different magazines. She also wrote an important book about Richmal Crompton, the author who created the Just William books. Mary first met Richmal in the late 1940s, but she was too shy back then to ask her about her stories.
For many years, Mary was the editor of the Just William Society magazine. She also edited another magazine called the Story Paper Collectors' Digest from 1987 to 2005. She was also a member of a group called The London Old Boys' Book Club.
Her books, including those she wrote with Patricia Craig, covered many different kinds of popular stories.
She was interviewed for a radio show by Gyles Brandreth in February 2008. This show celebrated 100 years since the character Billy Bunter was created.
Mary even had a very popular carrot cake recipe on the BBC Good Food website, which received over 1,500 reviews!
Mary Cadogan passed away on September 29, 2014.
Awards and Recognition
- In 2009, she received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Lancaster University. This is a special award that recognizes her important contributions.
Books Mary Cadogan Wrote
- You're a Brick, Angela! The Girls' Story from 1839-1975 (with Patricia Craig) (1976) (updated and revised edition 1986)
- Women and Children First: The Fiction of Two World Wars (with Patricia Craig) (1978)
- Richmal Crompton: The Woman Behind William (1986)
- The Lady Investigates: Women Detectives and Spies in Fiction (with Patricia Craig) (1986)
- Frank Richards: The Chap Behind the Chums (1988)
- Chin Up, Chest Out, Jemima: A Celebration of the Schoolgirls' Story (1989)
- The William Companion (1991)
- Women with Wings: Female Flyers in Fact and Fiction (1992)
- And Then Their Hearts Stood Still: An Exuberant Look at Romantic Fiction Past and Present (1994)
- Just William Through the Ages (1994)
- Mary Carries on: Reflections on Some Favourite Girls' Stories (2008)
She also wrote a chapter about girls' comics in a book called the DC Thomson Bumper Fun Book (1977).
