Nan Chauncy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nan Chauncy
|
|
|---|---|
Nan Chauncy, c.1950
|
|
| Born | Nancen Beryl Masterman 28 May 1900 Northwood, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 1 May 1970 (aged 69) Bagdad, Tasmania, Australia |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | British Australian |
| Period | 1948–1969 |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Spouse | Helmut Anton Rosenfeld (1938–1970) |
| Children | Heather Chauncy |
Nan Chauncy (born Nancen Beryl Masterman, 28 May 1900 – 1 May 1970) was a famous British-born Australian writer. She is best known for her exciting adventure stories for children, often set in the wild Tasmanian bush.
Contents
Growing Up in Tasmania
Nan Chauncy was born in Northwood, England. When she was 12, her family moved to Tasmania, Australia, in 1912. Her father was an engineer and got a job with the Hobart City Council.
The family later moved to a rural area called Bagdad. Here, they grew apple trees. The beautiful bushland around Bagdad, including a bushranger's cave, gave Nan lots of ideas for her future books. It also led to her lifelong involvement with the Australian Girl Guides movement.
Nan first helped with Guide meetings at her brother's property. Later, she started her own Guide troop in Claremont. She worked there as a welfare officer at the Cadbury's Chocolate Factory from 1925.
Travels and Marriage
In 1930, Nan Chauncy went back to England. She trained to be a Girl Guide leader at Foxlease House. She also spent time writing while living on a houseboat on the River Thames.
She traveled to several countries in Europe, including Sweden, Finland, and the Soviet Union. In Denmark, she taught English classes at a Girl Guide school during the winter.
In 1938, while sailing back to Australia, she met Helmut Anton Rosenfeld, a refugee from Germany. They got married in Lara, Victoria, on 13 September. They settled in Bagdad. To avoid problems during World War II, they changed their last name to Chauncy. This was Nan's grandmother's name.
Her Books and Stories
Nan Chauncy wrote many popular books for children. She published 14 novels during her life. Most of them were published by Oxford University Press. Her books were loved by many and some were even translated into other languages.
Here are some of her well-known books:
- They Found a Cave (1947)
- World's End was Home (1952)
- A Fortune for the Brave (1954)
- Tiger in the Bush (1957)
- Devil's Hill (1958)
- Tangara (1960)
- Half a World Away (1962)
- The Roaring 40 (1963)
- High and Haunted Island (1964)
- The Skewbald Pony (1965)
- Mathinna's People (1967)
- Lizzie's Lights (1968)
- The Lighthouse Keeper's Son (1969)
Books Become Movies and TV Shows
Two of Nan Chauncy's novels were made into films or TV shows. Her first book, They Found A Cave, became a movie in 1962. It was directed by Charles Wolnizer and featured actors from Tasmania. The film was very successful and won an award for Best Children's Film at the Venice Film Festival.
In 1988, her novel Devil's Hill was adapted into a TV film. This was part of a special series to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary.
Awards and Special Honours
Nan Chauncy won the Children's Book of the Year award three times. She won for Tiger in the Bush in 1958, for Devils' Hill in 1959, and for Tangara in 1961. Other books like The Roaring 40 and High and Haunted Island also received special mentions.
She was the first Australian writer to receive a diploma of merit from the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This is a very important international award for children's literature.
Today, the Children's Book Council of Australia gives out the Nan Chauncy Award. This award celebrates people who have made a great contribution to children's literature in Australia.
Legacy
Nan Chauncy passed away from cancer on 1 May 1970, at the age of 69. Her husband and daughter gave their family home, "Chauncy Vale", to the local council. It is now a nature reserve, so people can enjoy the beautiful bushland that inspired her stories.
See also
In Spanish: Nan Chauncy para niños
