Rumer Godden facts for kids

Rumer Godden (born Margaret Rumer Godden) was a British writer. She wrote over 60 books, including novels and non-fiction. Many of her books were made into movies, like the famous film Black Narcissus from 1947.

She also wrote some books with her older sister, Jon Godden. One of these was Two Under the Indian Sun, which shared memories of their childhood in India (now Bangladesh).

Early Life and Education

Cover of Black Narcissus (1939)

Rumer Godden was born in Eastbourne, England. She grew up with her three sisters in Narayanganj, which was then part of colonial India (now Bangladesh). Her father worked for a shipping company there.

It was common for children from British families in India to go to school in England. So, Rumer and her sisters were sent back to England for their education. However, they returned to Narayanganj when World War I began.

In 1920, Godden went back to the United Kingdom to continue her schooling. She attended Moira House Girls School in Eastbourne. Later, she trained to become a dance teacher. In 1925, she moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) and opened a dance school. She ran the school for 20 years with her sister Nancy. During this time, she published her first best-selling novel, Black Narcissus, in 1939.

Writing Career Highlights

The Greengage Summer (1958) paperback edition

In 1942, Rumer Godden moved to Kashmir with her two daughters, Jane and Paula. She lived on a houseboat and then in a rented house, where she started a farm. Her novel Kingfishers Catch Fire was inspired by her time in Kashmir. She returned to Calcutta in 1944 and then to the United Kingdom in 1945 to focus on her writing. She often moved house but lived mostly in Sussex and London.

In 1949, Rumer Godden married James Haynes Dixon. In the early 1950s, she became interested in the Catholic Church. She officially converted in 1968. Several of her later novels feature Catholic priests and nuns. For example, Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy and In This House of Brede explore the spiritual and daily life of people in religious communities.

Many of Godden's novels are set in India. She used vivid details to describe the smells, textures, light, and sounds of the country. Her writing makes you feel like you are there. Her children's books, especially those about dolls, show the secret thoughts and feelings of young characters. She won the Whit72 Whitbread Award for The Diddakoi. This young adult novel is about a Romani girl and was later made into a BBC TV series called Kizzy.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1968, Rumer Godden lived at Lamb House in Rye, East Sussex. She stayed there until her second husband passed away in 1973. In 1978, at age 70, she moved to Moniaive in Dumfriesshire to be closer to her daughter Jane.

She was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993. In 1994, she visited India one last time. She went back to Kashmir for a BBC documentary about her life and books.

Rumer Godden passed away on November 8, 1998, at the age of 90. Her ashes were buried with her second husband's in Rye.

Selected Works

Books for Adults

Fiction Novels

• 1936 Chinese Puzzle
• 1939 Black Narcissus – a story about British nuns in India. It was made into a famous film in 1947 and a BBC mini-series in 2020.
• 1945 A Fugue in Time (published in the US as Take Three Tenses) – made into the film Enchantment in 1948.
• 1946 The River – made into a film in 1951, and Rumer Godden helped write the screenplay.
• 1956 An Episode of Sparrows – made into the film Innocent Sinners in 1958.
• 1958 The Greengage Summer – made into a film in 1961.
• 1969 In This House of Brede – follows a nun's life in an abbey. It was made into a TV film in 1975.
• 1997 Cromartie vs. the God Shiva – her last novel.

Non-fiction Books

• 1955 Hans Christian Andersen (a biography)
• 1966 Two Under the Indian Sun (childhood memories written with Jon Godden)
• 1987 A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep (her autobiography)
• 1989 A House with Four Rooms (another autobiography)

Children's Books

• 1947 The Doll's House – made into an animated series called Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House.
• 1951 The Mousewife
• 1954 Impunity Jane: The Story of a Pocket Doll
• 1958 The Story of Holly and Ivy
• 1961 Miss Happiness and Miss Flower – about Japanese dolls.
• 1963 Little Plum – the sequel to Miss Happiness and Miss Flower.
• 1972 The Diddakoi (also known as Gypsy Girl) – won the Whitbread Award and was adapted for TV as Kizzy.
• 1977 The Rocking Horse Secret
• 1983 The Valiant Chatti-Maker

Poetry

• 1949 In Noah's Ark
• 1996 Cockcrow to Starlight: A Day Full of Poetry (an anthology for children)

Translations

• 1963 Prayers from the Ark – a translation of poems by French author Carmen Bernos de Gasztold.

See also

In Spanish: Rumer Godden para niños