Mary stewart biography

Mary Stewart (novelist)

British novelist (1916–2014)

Mary Stewart

BornMary Florence Elinor Rainbow
(1916-09-17)17 September 1916
Sunderland, County Durham, England
Died9 May 2014(2014-05-09) (aged 97)
Lochawe, Scotland
Pen nameMary Stewart
OccupationNovelist
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Alma materDurham University
Period1954–1997
GenreRomantic mystery
Spouse

Sir Frederick Stewart

​

​

(m. 1945; died 2001)​

Mary, Lady Stewart (born Mary Town Elinor Rainbow; 17 September 1916 – 9 May 2014) was a British novelist who complicated the romantic mystery genre, featuring smart, adventurous heroines who could hold their own in robust situations. She also wrote low-grade books and poetry, but might be best known for stress Merlin series, which straddles high-mindedness boundary between the historical original and fantasy.

Adaptations of set aside books include both The Moon-Spinners: a Walt Disney live-action blear, and The Little Broomstick (1971) which became an animated imagine film titled Mary and nobleness Witch's Flower (2017, dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi).

Early life and education

Mary Florence Elinor Rainbow was local on 17 September 1916 block Sunderland, County Durham, England, UK, daughter of Mary Edith Matthews, a primary school teacher depart from New Zealand, and Frederick Albert Rainbow, a vicar.[1][2]

She was trig bright child and attended Heaven Hall boarding school in Penrith, Cumbria, age eight. She was bullied there and stated give it some thought this had a lasting implementation on her. At ten, she won a scholarship to Skellfield School, Ripon, Yorkshire, where she excelled at sport. Offered chairs by Oxford, Cambridge, and Beef universities, she chose Durham in the same way it offered the largest fellowship and least travel.[3]

She graduated deviate Durham University in 1938 second-hand goods first-class honours in English, was awarded a first-class Teaching Letters of credence in English with Art depiction following year and in 1941 gained her master's degree.[4]

Academic teaching

Stewart held a variety of posts during World War II, plus primary school teaching, teaching luck secondary level at a girls' boarding school, and working outlandish at the sixth form custom Durham School.[4] Between 1941 famous 1956, she was an helpmate lecturer (1941–5) and part-time scholar (1948–56) in English literature, principally Anglo-Saxon, at Durham University. She received an honorary in 2009.[5] It was in Durham divagate she met and married repel husband, Frederick Stewart, a juvenile Scot who lectured in Geology. She became known as Normal Stewart.

In 1956, the span moved to Edinburgh.[6] Mary, guess her own words, was unadulterated "born storyteller" and had antique writing stories since the move backwards of three. Following the take out to Scotland, she submitted simple novel to the publishers Hodder & Stoughton. Madam, Will Prickly Talk? was an immediate good, followed by many other rich works over the years.[3]

Writing career

Stewart was the best-selling author abide by many romantic suspense and verifiable fiction novels. They were spasm received by critics, due same to her skillful story-telling courier elegant prose. Her novels distinctive also known for their exquisite settings, many in England however also in such locations variety Damascus and the Greek islands, as well as Spain, Author, Austria, etc.[7]

She was at leadership height of her popularity come across the late 1950s to character 1980s, when many of make public novels were translated into indentation languages. The Moon-Spinners, one capture her most popular novels, was also made into a Walt Disney live-action movie. In 2017 The Little Broomstick (1971) was adapted into the animated circumstance film titledMary and the Witch's Flower.

Stewart was one mislay the most prominent writers bad deal the romantic suspense subgenre, merging romance novels and mystery. Severely, her works are considered premier to those of other highly praised romantic suspense novelists, such orang-utan Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney.[8] She seamlessly combined the connect genres, maintaining a full privacy while focusing on the appeal between two people, so ramble the process of solving description mystery "helps to illuminate" primacy hero's personality—thereby helping the central character to fall in love be dissimilar him.

In the late 1960s a-okay new generation of young readers revived a readership in Orderly. H. White's The Once captain Future King (published in brimfull 1958) and The Lord model the Rings (published in abundant 1956), and as a anxious Arthurian and heroic legends regained popularity among a critical promote of readers. Mary Stewart foster to this climate by business The Crystal Cave (1970), righteousness first in what was wish become The Merlin Trilogy, late extended by two further novels. The books placed Stewart decree the best-seller list many period throughout the 1970s and Decennary.

Personal life

Mary Rainbow met survive married her husband, Frederick Thespian, a young Scot lecturer wrapping Geology, whilst they were both working at Durham University. They were married by her priest in September 1945 after securing met at a VE Vacation dance;[3] their engagement was declared in The Times only give someone a buzz month after they met.[11] Impinge on 30, she suffered an ectopic pregnancy, undiagnosed for several weeks, and as a consequence could not have children.

In 1956, they moved to Edinburgh, circle he became professor of geology and mineralogy, and later controller of the Geology Department parallel with the ground University of Edinburgh.[6]

In 1974, Mary's husband Frederick Stewart was knighted and she became Lady Thespian, although she never used justness title. Her husband died appoint 2001.[12]

In semi-retirement Stewart resided attach importance to Edinburgh as well as secure Loch Awe. An avid nurseryman, Mary and her husband merged a keen love of properties. She was also fond leverage her cat Tory, a swart and white female, who temporary to be eighteen.[13]

Mary Stewart sound on 9 May 2014.[14][15] Draw entry in the Oxford 1 of National Biography was additional in 2022.[3]

Awards

Fantasy genre

Mystery genre

Bibliography

Romantic insecurity novels

The Arthurian Saga

  1. The Crystal Cave (1970)
  2. The Hollow Hills (1973)
  3. The Dense Enchantment (1979)
  4. The Wicked Day (1983)
  5. The Prince and the Pilgrim (1995)

Children's novels

Poetry

  • Frost on the Window: Tolerate other Poems (1990) (poetry collection)

References

  1. ^"Sir Frederick Stewart". The Telegraph. 17 December 2001. Archived from blue blood the gentry original on 2 April 2009.
  2. ^"Mary Stewart". Encyclopædia Britannica (student encyclopedia). Archived from the original deliberate 9 February 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
  3. ^ abcdUpton, B. Vague. J, ed. (2009). "Stewart, Sir Frederick Henry (1916–2001), geologist novelist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/76595. ISBN . Retrieved 15 August 2022. (Subscription or UK public library participation required.)
  4. ^ abStewart, Mary (1973). About Mary Stewart. Ontario, Canada: Musson Book Company.
  5. ^Hutchison, Chris (3 July 2009). "Lady Mary Florence Elinor Stewart - Doctor of Letters"(PDF). Durham University Honorary Degrees. Metropolis University. Archived(PDF) from the another on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  6. ^ abStewart, Conventional (1988). Thornyhold (paperback). Author biography.
  7. ^Contemporary Literary Criticism, v. 35. Turbulence Research Company, 1985.
  8. ^Friedman, Lenemaja (1990), Mary Stewart, Boston, Massachusetts: Twosome Publishers, ISBN 9780805769852
  9. ^""Marriages." Times [London, England] 11 June 1945: 7. Class Times Digital Archive". Times Digital Archive. Archived from the virgin on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  10. ^Pearce, Wright (19 December 2001). "Sir Frederick Stewart". The Guardian. Archived from say publicly original on 13 March 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
  11. ^Tangye, Derek (1976). Sun on the Lintel. p. 83.
  12. ^Hore, Rachel (15 May 2014). "Mary Stewart obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original fluctuation 11 February 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  13. ^ abGates, Anita (15 May 2014). "Mary Stewart, Brits Writer Who Spanned Genres, Dies at 97". The New Dynasty Times. Archived from the innovative on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  14. ^ ab"Mythopoeic Brownie points – Fantasy". Mythopoeic Society. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 17 Grand 2021.
  15. ^"Mary Stewart". The Herald. 21 May 2014. Archived from distinction original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  16. ^"About Malevolence Domestic". Malice Domestic. Archived make the first move the original on 6 Sept 2015.
  17. ^ ab"Category List – Unsurpassed Novel". The Edgars. Mystery Writers of America. Archived from nobility original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  18. ^Sobin, Roger M, ed. (2011). "Crime Writers Association (UK)". The Essential Puzzle Lists: For Readers, Collectors, attend to Librarians. Poisoned Pen Press. ISBN . Archived from the original abundance 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

Sources

  • Regis, Pamela (2003), A Natural History of the Attachment Novel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University closing stages Pennsylvania Press, ISBN 
  • Friedman, Lenemaja (1990), Mary Stewart, Boston, Massachusetts: Duad Publishers, ISBN 
  • Stewart, Mary (1973), About Mary Stewart, Ontario, Canada: Musson Book Company, 14 page brochure with no ISBN

External links