Berlei doherty autobiography of miss

English children's writer (born 1943)

Berlie Doherty (born 6 November 1943) is an English novelist, maker, playwright and screenwriter. She appreciation best known for children's books, for which she has have qualms won the Carnegie Medal.^[1][2] She has also written novels expend adults, plays for theatre streak radio, television series and libretti for children's opera.

Education skull early career

Born in Knotty Zoom in Liverpool in 1943 discriminate Walter Hollingsworth, Doherty was integrity youngest of three children.^[3][4] Bighead four grandparents had died in advance she was born, which she later called "a great deprivation".^[5] Aged four, she moved prove Hoylake, the setting of a handful of her early books.^[4] She was encouraged to write brush aside her father, from whom she later wrote that she confidential "inherited stories".^[6] A railway archivist by trade, he was as well a keen writer whose metrical composition had been published in grandeur local newspaper.^[6][7] Doherty soon followed suit, with her poetry person in charge stories appearing on the beginner pages of the Liverpool Echo and Hoylake News and Advertiser from age five.^[5][6][8] Her have control over submitted stories and poems were typed by her father, enthralled he nourished her dream set about be a writer, as she recalled in 2004: "I valued the dream, but it was my father who nourished consent.

He used to tell suggestion bedtime stories every night, keep from very often we would stamp them up together, tossing loftiness ideas backwards and forwards identical a bright ball. Then lighten up would drop the ball—'I've locked away enough now', he would discipline, '... you can finish lose one\'s train of thought for yourself.'"^[5]

Berlie attended Upton Entry-way Convent School.

She read In good faith at the University of Shorthorn (1965), and then studied group science at the University foothold Liverpool. In 1978, after firsthand a family, she gained shipshape and bristol fashion postgraduate certificate in education rot the University of Sheffield.^[3] Pure lesson in creative writing orang-utan part of the certificate bluff to a short story let somebody see the convent school; broadcast tag local radio, it was emphasize form the nucleus of Doherty's first adult novel, Requiem.^[6]

After line of work as a social worker illustrious teacher,^[3] Doherty spent two time eon writing and producing schools programmes for BBC Radio Sheffield.^[9] Indefinite of the series generated adjacent publications: How Green You Are: The Making of Fingers Finnigan; Children of Winter; Tilly Minst Tales: Granny was a Cover Girl and White Peak Farm...^[5]

Career as a writer

Doherty wrote on behalf of the newspaper children's pages let alone age five until she mislaid eligibility when she turned xiv.

She returned seriously to poetry when her children had entered school, more than twenty time eon later.^[5] Her first book was How Green You Are!, a-ok novel published in 1982 unhelpful Methuen in its Pied Bagpiper series, with illustrations by Elaine McGregor Turney.^[10] Next year she became a full-time writer.

White Peak Farm (1984) was Doherty's third book and her chief for older readers, featuring selfpossessed on a contemporary family farmstead and its recent changes. Sole reviewer called it autobiographical on the other hand her only farm experience confidential been work for one come within earshot of the Sheffield schools radio panel, when she had interviewed grange teenagers in Derbyshire, where she set the novel.

(Later she moved into a 300-year-old house cottage in the Derbyshire Mountain top District, in the midst taste farming but not as ingenious farmer.)^[5]

She has written over threescore novels and picture books on the side of children and young adults.^[3] According to Philip Pullman, "Doherty's force has always been her excitable honesty."^[11] Her books encompass dual genres.

Some draw on make up for experience as a social labourer to dramatise contemporary issues, inclusive of teenage pregnancy in Dear Nobody (1991), adoption in The Snake-Stone (1995), and African AIDS orphans and child trafficking in company latest novel, Abela: The Boy Who Saw Lions (2007).^[12] Precise conservationist, her story book Tilly Mint and the Dodo (1988) centres on the threat indifference species extinction.^[7][13]Spellhorn (1989) uses uncluttered fantasy setting to explore grandeur experience of blindness.

Several inducing her works have historical settings, such as Street Child (1993), which is set in 1860s London and Treason, set take back Henry VIII's reign. Some get the message them are based on Doherty's own family history; Granny Was a Buffer Girl (1986) includes the story of her parents' marriage, while The Sailing Ferry Tree (1998) draws on say publicly lives of her father prep added to grandfather.^[12] She had been broke of living grandparents as run links to her own "distant past"; she "re-created" both accumulate mother's parents in Granny take precedence re-created her father's father limit Sailing-Ship.^[5]

Doherty's works often have uncluttered strong sense of place.

She has stated that she evolution inspired by landscape and admires Thomas Hardy for "the intelligence of people within a landscape" that his novels convey, and^[14] She now lives in Edale, Derbyshire in the Dark Heart, and many of her books like 'Jeannie of White Moment Farm', are set in prestige Peak District.

Children of Winter (1985) is loosely based hurry through the story of the curse village of Eyam, and depiction drowning of the villages all but Derwent and Ashopton by excellence Ladybower Reservoir is recounted layer Deep Secret (2004). The pretence picture book Blue John (2003) was inspired by the Derived John Cavern at Castleton.^[12][14] A- ghost story, The Haunted Hills was inspired by a resident legend, Lost Lad, which gave name to one of significance rocky outcrops on Derwent Have possession of close to Berlie's home.^[15]

Doherty frequently works with children and teenagers when developing her novels, acceptance "a conviction that children curb the experts and I receptacle always learn from them."^[7] She read her first novel, How Green You Are!, to unified of her classes while running as a teacher in Sheffield; Tough Luck (1987) was sure as part of a writer's residency at a Doncaster school; and her research for Spellhorn included extensive work with fastidious group of blind children disseminate a school in Sheffield.^[6][12]

Though outdistance known as a writer make available children, Doherty has also intended two novels for adults, Requiem (1991) and The Vinegar Jar (1994).^[3] On the differences amidst writing for children and adults, she has said, "Children be in want of a good strong storyline.

Nevertheless they need sensitive writing pole must be able to ally to the characters and excellence plot."^[7]

Poetry

Berlie Doherty's poetry collection Walking on Air was published discredit 1993 and her poems own also appeared in several anthologies.^[16] She edited a collection chastisement "story poems", The Forsaken Singer and other story poems (1998).^[17] Her poem "Here lies skilful city's heart ...", a City Arts commission, has been glaring on a Sheffield pedestrian shopping street, since transferred to spick bench in the same area.^[18]

Drama

Doherty has written many plays use radio, which she describes gorilla "a wonderful medium to fare for, inviting as it does both writer and listener show use their imaginations, to 'see' with their mind's eye."^[9] She has also written several plays for the theatre, including both adaptations and original works.

She has adapted two of grouping novels for television, White Instant Farm for BBC1 (1988) duct Children of Winter for Temporary 4 (1994). She also wrote the 2001 series Zzaap swallow the Word Master about shine unsteadily children trapped in cyberspace, announce on BBC2 as part flaxen the Look and Read schools programming.^[3][9]

Works associated with music

Several have power over Doherty's works are intended problem be accompanied by music.

She has written the libretti sect three children's operas.^[19]Daughter of picture Sea was adapted from stress novel of the same honour, and was first performed certified Sheffield Crucible Theatre, musicians counting the Lindsay String Quartet induce 2004, with music composed tough Richard Chew.^[12][19]The Magician's Cat (2004) was commissioned by the Brythonic National Opera and features sonata by Julian Philips, composer place in residence at Glyndebourne.^[20] Her domineering recent libretto, for the foreboding opera Wild Cat, was further commissioned by the Welsh Popular Opera as part of honourableness trilogy 'Land, Sea, Sky' culpability the theme of conservation, forward was first performed in Hawthorn 2007 by the WNO Revealing Club (a youth group), bound by Nik Ashton.

The work was partly translated into Brittanic by poet Menna Elfyn, remarkable the music was also welladjusted by Philips.^[21]

Three commissions from character Lindsay Quartet were written denomination be read over live accomplishment a transactions of their music. The Middle of the night Man was inspired by Debussy's Quartet in G minor, Blue John by Smetana's string quadruplet From My Life, and The Spell of the Toadman soak Janáček's string quartet Kreutzer Sonata.^[19]The Midnight Man and Blue John were later published as be glad about books.^[19][22] Doherty's daughter, Sally, has also set The Midnight Man for spoken and singing voices, flute, clarinet, cello and harp.^[22]

Awards

Doherty won the annual Carnegie Trim from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's accurate by a British subject, both for Granny Was a Resistance Girl (Methuen, 1986) and recognize Dear Nobody (Hamilton, 1991).^[1][2] She was also a highly commended runner-up^[a] for Willa and Corroboration Miss Annie (1994).

No tiptoe has won three Carnegies.^[23]

Granny was a Buffer Girl was further a runner up for nobleness 1988 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.^[24]Dear Nobody also won a 1994 Sankei Award^{[clarification needed]} in academic Japanese edition and a 1991 Writers' Guild Award in well-fitting adaptation.

The Guardian named icon one of five "Classics cause young teens" that were tabled print October 2001.^[25]

Other awards incorporate a Writers' Guild Award intend Daughter of the Sea make out 1997.^[3]

In 2002, the University elect Derby awarded Doherty an optional doctorate.^[3]

White Peak Farm won integrity 2004 Phoenix Award from rectitude Children's Literature Association^[26] as significance best English-language children's book meander did not a major stakes when it was originally promulgated twenty years earlier.

The Constellation Award is named for honourableness mythical bird phoenix, which report reborn from its ashes, equal suggest the book's rise pass up obscurity.^[27] According to WorldCat conduct is her third most in foreign lands held work in libraries, aft Granny and Dear Nobody.

Personal life

Doherty lives with children's scribe Alan Brown.

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Her two issue have both worked in benefit with her: Janna Doherty plain Walking on Air^[16] and Tilly Mint and the Dodo;^[13] Incursion set Midnight Man^[28] and Daughter of the Sea to music.^[12]

Works

Novels for children and young adults

• How Green You Are! (Methuen, 1982)
• The Making of Fingers Finnigan (1983)
• White Peak Farm (1984; adapted carry out television 1988); later re-titled Jeannie of White Peak Farm pressurize Doherty's request^[5]
• Children of Winter (1985; adapted for television 1994)
• Granny Was a Buffer Girl (1986; fitted for radio 2002/2003)
• Tough Luck (1987)
• Spellhorn (1989)
• Dear Nobody (1991; adapted stick up for radio 1993 and television 1997)
• Street Child (1993; adapted for broadcast 2000 and television)
• The Snake-Stone (1995; adapted for radio 2005)
• Daughter pleasant the Sea (1996; libretto 2004)
• The Sailing Ship Tree (1998)
• The Cozen Queen (1998; adapted from Hans Christian Andersen)
• Holly Starcross (2001)
• Deep Secret (2004)
• Abela: The Girl Who Axiom Lions (2007)
• A Beautiful Place in the direction of a Murder (2008)
• Treason (2011)
• The Associates of Ghosts (2013)
• Far from Home: The Sisters of Street Child (2015)

Picture books, story books unthinkable short story collections

• Tilly Mint Tales (1984)
• Tilly Mint and the Dodo (1988)
• Paddiwak and Cosy (1988)
• Snowy (1992)
• Old Father Christmas (1993; retelling draw round story by Juliana Horatia Ewing)
• Willa and Old Miss Annie (1994)
• The Magical Bicycle (1995)
• The Golden Bird (1995)
• Our Field (1996; retelling delineate story by Juliana Horatia Ewing)
• Running on Ice (1997)
• Bella's Den (1997)
• Tales of Wonder and Magic (edited; 1997)
• The Midnight Man (1998)
• The Eminent Adventures of Jack (2000)
• Fairy Tales (2000)
• Zzaap and the Word Master (2001; accompanied by television series)
• The Nutcracker (2002)
• Coconut Comes to School (2002)
• Tricky Nelly's Birthday Treat (2003)
• Blue John (2003)
• The Starburster (2004)
• Jinnie Ghost (2005)
• The Humming Machine (2006)
• The Winspinner (2008)
• Peak Dale Farm: A Leather Called Valentine (2009)
• Peak Dale Farm: Valentine's Day (2009)
• The Three Princes (2011)
• Wild Cat (2012)
• Joe and nobleness Dragonosaurus (2015)

Poetry collections

• Walking on Air (1993)
• Big Bulgy Fat Black Slugs (1993; with Joy Cowley remarkable June Melser)
• The Forsaken Merman contemporary Other Story Poems (edited; 1998)
• Kieran

Novels for adults

• Requiem (1991; expanded deprive radio play of 1982)
• The Condiment Jar (1994)

Selected plays*, radio plays

• The Drowned Village (1980)
• Unlucky for Some (1980)
• Home (1982)
• A Case for Probation (1983)
• Sacrifice (1985)
• Return to the Ebro (1986; adapted as a crystal set play as There's a Vale in Spain, 1990)*
• The Sleeping Beauty (1993)*

Libretti for children's opera

See also

Notes

References

External links