Rosemary Sutcliff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosemary Sutcliff
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Rosemary Sutcliff
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| Born | 14 December 1920 East Clandon, Surrey, England |
| Died | 23 July 1992 (aged 71) Chichester, West Sussex, England, UK |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Genre | Children's historical fiction, myth and legend |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1959 Horn Book Award 1972 Phoenix Award 1985, 2010 |
| Website | |
| rosemarysutcliff.wordpress.com | |
Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was a famous English writer. She is best known for her exciting historical fiction books for children. She also retold many ancient myths and legends.
Even though she wrote mainly for young people, Rosemary Sutcliff believed her books were for everyone. In an interview, she once said her books were "for children of all ages, from nine to ninety." She was recognized for her amazing work and was a runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1974. This award is one of the highest honors for children's writers.
Contents
About Rosemary Sutcliff's Life
Rosemary Sutcliff was born on December 14, 1920, in East Clandon, England. Her father was a Royal Navy officer. Because of his job, she spent her childhood moving around. She lived in places like Malta and other naval bases.
When she was very young, Rosemary got an illness called Still's disease. This meant she used a wheelchair for most of her life. Her illness also meant she spent a lot of time with her mother. Her mother told her many old Celtic and Saxon stories. These legends later inspired many of Rosemary's books.
Rosemary's schooling was often interrupted because her family moved so much. Also, her illness made it hard to attend school regularly. She didn't learn to read until she was nine years old. When she was 14, she left school to study art. She went to the Bideford Art School for three years. After graduating, she worked as a painter of tiny pictures called miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff loved children's historical novels. She was inspired by the writer Geoffrey Trease. Her first book, The Chronicles of Robin Hood, was published in 1950.
In 1954, she published one of her most famous books, The Eagle of the Ninth. This book is part of a series about Roman Britain. The books in this series are connected by a special emerald ring. This ring is passed down through generations of the same family.
Rosemary Sutcliff won the Carnegie Medal in 1959. She won it for her book The Lantern Bearers. This book is the third in her Eagle series. It tells the story of Britain after the Roman Empire left. The British people faced threats from invaders during this time.
She also won the American Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in 1971. This was for her retelling of the Arthurian legend in Tristan and Iseult. In 1985, her book The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first-ever Phoenix Award. This award celebrates great children's books that didn't win a major award when they were first published. Her book The Shining Company won the same award in 2010.
Rosemary Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton, England. She was honored for her contributions to children's literature. In 1975, she became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Later, in 1992, she became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She wrote constantly throughout her life. She was even writing on the morning she passed away in 1992.
Rosemary Sutcliff's Books
Autobiography
- Blue Remembered Hills: A recollection (1983): This book is Rosemary Sutcliff's own story. It tells about her childhood and early adult life.
Other Nonfiction Books
- Houses and History (1960): A book about different houses and their history.
- Heroes and History (1965): A book exploring famous heroes and historical events.
Eagle of the Ninth Series
This popular series is also known as the 'Marcus' series. The books are linked by a special family ring with a dolphin on it. They are listed here in the order of the story, not when they were written.
- The Eagle of the Ninth (1954)
- The Silver Branch (1957)
- Frontier Wolf (1980)
- The Lantern Bearers (1959)
- Sword at Sunset (1963)
- Dawn Wind (1961)
- Sword Song (1997, published after her death)
- The Shield Ring (1956)
You can also find the first three books of this series together in one big book. It's called Three Legions (1980) or Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles (2010).
Arthurian Novels
Rosemary Sutcliff wrote some of the best modern versions of the King Arthur stories. She tried to show Arthur as a real historical leader.
- The Lantern Bearers (1959)
- Sword at Sunset (1963)
- Tristan and Iseult (1971): This book retells the sad love story of Tristan and Iseult.
- The Arthurian Trilogy: These three books are inspired by the famous King Arthur stories by Sir Thomas Malory.
- The Sword and the Circle (1981)
- The Light Beyond the Forest (1979)
- The Road to Camlann (1981)
- The Shining Company (1990): This book retells the story of Y Gododdin, which is one of the earliest mentions of Arthur's name.
The Arthurian Trilogy books can also be found together in King Arthur Stories: Three books in one (1999) or The King Arthur Trilogy (2007).
Other Children's Novels
Here are some of Rosemary Sutcliff's other wonderful books for young readers:
- The Chronicles of Robin Hood (1950): Her very first published book, about the famous outlaw.
- The Queen Elizabeth Story (1950)
- The Armourer's House (1951)
- Brother Dusty-Feet (1952)
- Simon (1953): Set during the 17th-century English Civil War.
- Outcast (1955)
- Warrior Scarlet (1958)
- Knight's Fee (1960)
- Bridge Builders (1960): About the building of Hadrian's Wall.
- Beowulf: Dragonslayer (1961): Retells the ancient story of Beowulf.
- The Hound of Ulster (1963): Retells the story of the Irish hero Cú Chulainn.
- The Mark of the Horse Lord (1965)
- The Chief's Daughter (1967)
- The High Deeds of Finn MacCool (1967)
- A Circlet of Oak Leaves (1968)
- The Witch's Brat (1970)
- The Truce of the Games (1971)
- Heather, Oak, and Olive (1972): A collection of three dramatic stories.
- The Capricorn Bracelet (1973): Six stories linked by a Roman armlet.
- The Changeling (1974)
- We Lived in Drumfyvie (1975): Written with Margaret Lyford-Pike, about 700 years in a Scottish town.
- Blood Feud (1976)
- Sun Horse, Moon Horse (1977)
- Shifting Sands (1977)
- Song for a Dark Queen (1978): Retells the story of Queen Boudica.
- Eagle's Egg (1981)
- Bonnie Dundee (1983): The story of John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee, during a Scottish uprising.
- Flame-coloured Taffeta (1986)
- The Roundabout Horse (1986)
- A Little Dog Like You (1987)
- The Best of Rosemary Sutcliff (1987): A collection of three books: Warrior Scarlet, The Mark of the Horse Lord, and Knight's Fee.
- The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup (1993, posthumous): Published after her death.
- Black Ships Before Troy (1993, posthumous): Retells the famous story of the Iliad.
- Chess-Dream in a Garden (1993, posthumous): A fantasy story inspired by the Lewis chessmen.
- The Wanderings of Odysseus (1995, posthumous): Retells the epic story of the Odyssey.
Awards and Recognition
Rosemary Sutcliff received many awards for her writing:
- 1959 Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers.
- 1971 Zilveren Griffel (a Dutch award, meaning Silver Pencil).
- 1972 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Tristan and Iseult.
- 1978 The Other Award for Song for a Dark Queen.
- 1985 Phoenix Award for The Mark of the Horse Lord (originally published in 1965).
- 2010 Phoenix Award for The Shining Company (originally published in 1990).
She was also a runner-up for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1974. This is a very important international award for children's authors.
Images for kids
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Rosemary Sutcliff
See also
In Spanish: Rosemary Sutcliff para niños
