Naomi Lewis facts for kids
Naomi Lewis (born September 3, 1911 – died July 5, 2009) was a talented British writer. She was a poet, essayist, and literary critic. She also collected and retold stories, especially for children. Naomi Lewis is well-known for translating the famous fairy tales by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. She also wrote many insightful reviews and essays. She received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for her contributions to children's literature.
Early Life
Naomi Lewis was born in Great Yarmouth, England. She was the second of four children. Her father was from Latvia and worked as a herring exporter. Her mother was a very artistic person, good at both art and music. In 1935, her family moved to London. Naomi lived in the same block of flats there for the rest of her life. She went to Great Yarmouth High School. Later, she earned a scholarship to study English at Westfield College, which is part of the University of London.
Her Writing Career
After working as a teacher and a copywriter, Naomi Lewis began her writing career after World War II. She started by entering weekly writing competitions for a magazine called New Statesman. People quickly noticed her smart and thoughtful writing. She soon became a regular writer for the New Statesman. She also wrote for other important newspapers and magazines. These included The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement, and New York Times.
Her first book, A Visit to Mrs. Wilcox, came out in 1957. It was a collection of her articles and was immediately praised. It even became a "Book Society recommendation."
Over her sixty-year career, Naomi Lewis created many different works. She was a reviewer, a collector of writings (anthologist), and a poet. Some of her famous works include A Footprint on the Air (1983). This book was a collection of nature poems, named after one of her own poems. Another important book was Messages (1985). This was a popular collection of poetry. It included three of her own poems: The Wolf said to Francis, Counsel, and Creatures of Early Morning. In 2000, Messages was chosen by Quentin Blake, the UK's first Children's Laureate, as one of his fifty favorite books. Naomi Lewis especially loved her 1993 book, The Mardi Gras Cat. In it, she shared a special collection of poems about different cats.
Naomi Lewis also taught poetry and creative writing. She taught for many years at London's City Literary Institute. She was so popular that she kept teaching even after the usual retirement age. Some poems from her classes were included in her book Messages. She also gave talks at the South Place Ethical Society. She was a member there for a long time. She often spoke about her favorite children's authors, like Hans Christian Andersen and Andrew Lang. She also talked about the Italian author Primo Levi, whose books she greatly admired.
Personal Life
Naomi Lewis cared deeply about animals. She was a vegan, meaning she did not eat or use animal products. She was against any kind of animal mistreatment. She once wrote in a letter to a newspaper, "What moral right have humans to cause suffering to sensitive creatures?" She was known for rescuing stray cats and injured pigeons near her home in London. Because of this, she was even featured on a BBC TV show called London Identities. A national newspaper also wrote an article about her. She would often take injured pigeons to a safe space at Conway Hall to help them practice flying.
Awards and Honors
Naomi Lewis received the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 1975. This award recognized her important work for children's literature. In 1981, she was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers.
Her Books
Naomi Lewis wrote many books, retold classic stories, and translated works from other languages.
- Books she wrote:
* A Visit to Mrs. Wilcox (1957) * The Butterfly Collector (1978) * Leaves (1980) * The Mardi Gras Cat (1993)
- Stories she retold:
* The Three Golden Hairs: A Story from the Brothers Grimm (1983) * Stories from the Arabian Nights (1987) * Cry Wolf and Other Aesop Fables (1988)
- Works she translated:
* Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales (1981) * Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen (1988) * The Frog Prince by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1989) * Hans Christian Andersen, The Emperor's New Clothes (1997)
- Collections she put together (Anthologies):
* A Footprint on the Air: An Anthology of Nature Verse (1983) * Messages: A Book of Poems (1985) * Grimms' Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1985)
