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1959 Carnegie Medal awarded to Rosemary Sutcliff for historical novel The Lantern Bearers

Posted in Autobiography & Biography, Awards, Song for a Dark Queen, The Eagle of the Ninth, The Mark of the Horse Lord, The Shining Company, Tristan and Iseult, tagged , , , , , , , on June 19, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

The Carnegie Medal for 2013  is awarded today. The Medal is awarded every year in the UK to the writer of an outstanding book for children. (2013 shortlist here).

The eminent Rosemary Sutcliff  (1920-92) won the (former) Library Association Carnegie Medal in 1959 for her historical novel for children The Lantern Bearers (she wrote for children”aged 8 to 88″, she said).  She was runner-up with Tristan and Iseult in 1972.

First awarded to Arthur Ransome for Pigeon Post, the medal is now awarded by The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. The winner  receives a golden medal and  £500 worth of books to donate to a library they choose. Both the Carnegie Medal and its sister award, the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustrated books, are awarded every year.

Originally the Library Association started the prize in 1936 in memory of the Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919). He was a self-made industrialist who made his fortune in the steel industry in the USA and who was a great supporter of libraries. He once said ”if ever wealth came to me that it should be used to establish free libraries”.

Rosemary Sutcliff also won or was nominated for many other awards in the UK and USA. (She won other awards in translation).

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Facebook commenters on Rosemary Sutcliff books | What read? | Why loved?

Posted in Readers, Sutcliff Discovery of the Day, tagged , , , , on June 19, 2013 | 1 Comment »

In September last year I posted at my parallel Rosemary Sutcliff Facebook page:

…a warm welcome to all who have ‘liked’ here in recent weeks. To all of you (new or old ‘likers’), it is Rosemary Sutcliff’s birthday on December 14th. She died 20 years ago. In my mind these facts have come together, and I want to collect comments from people here about Rosemary, her books, what you have read, and why you love it…Comment away here and please do share this request.

People wrote:

David Urbach. Her “Lantern Bearers” was the first book to really open my eyes not only to the possibility of historical fiction, but to the richness of the “Dark” Ages. In addition to becoming my favourite single novel, and one of a very few that actually drew tears from my eyes at the end, it also set me on my path to studying that late Roman/early medieval period of English history and literature. If I succeed in pursuing a PhD, which I shall soon embark on, and in teaching that period, then I will owe much of the direction of my life to her book. Already I owe her much, much joy from reading.

Esther Elizabeth Bondoc Suson. The first book I read of hers was Outcast…now I don’t even check the blurb, just buy anything with her name on it. My two sisters and I have added “Aquila” to the ends of our Twitter usernames because of our love for The Eagle of the Ninth, Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers. She will always be one of my most favourite authors.

Barry Thatcher. The first book I read of hers was was Eagle of the ninth.

Sara Crowe. As a child, I read every book by her that I could get my hands on and then I read them again and again. I still reread them from time to time now I’m an adult. She made me see history as layers of a landscape and to this day, I walk footpaths with an awareness that Bronze Age shepherds, Celtic hunters, Roman soldiers and so on have walked this same land, and that mine are only the latest footprints to leave their ephemeral mark.

Lesley Arrowsmith. We were lucky enough to study Warrior Scarlet at school in my first year at secondary school (just after BBs The Little Grey Men). When I started spinning, and first picked up a fleece, I knew how it would feel because of the descriptions in this book – all Rosemary Sutcliff’s descriptions were vivid enough to make you believe you were there yourself.

Kendra S. Wiley .Rosemary is my hero and my role model as a writer. I truly believe she is the greatest writer who ever lived. The first book I read by her was the picture book, The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup, and the first story I wrote was based on it. Later I read The Shield Ring, my favourite to this day, and never looked back… Her stories inspire me to do the best work I can, and her life inspires me to be courageous no matter what my obstacles are

Avenel Grace. I have collected and loved all Rosemary’s books, and still read and re read them from time to time.

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Rosemary Sutcliff’s press cuttings collection for 1963 best seller Sword at Sunset

Posted in Sutcliff Discovery of the Day, Sword at Sunset, tagged , , , , on June 16, 2013 | 2 Comments »

Recent Twitter post @FurnissLawton (my daughter, a literary agent) commented  ”How authors used to collect press cuttings @rsutcliff‘s ‘Sword at Sunset’ 1963″ with a picture pic.twitter.com/ZzpHjur2ay

Image

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Historical and children’s novelist Rosemary Sutcliff’s Brother Dusty Feet excerpt chosen in collection of adventure stories for ten year olds

Posted in Brother Dusty-Feet, C. Walter Hodges, Sutcliff not Sutcliffe, tagged on June 16, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Good morning, and Happy Father’s Day , at least in the UK…

I have been sorting my shelves of books connected with historical novelist and children’s writer Rosemary Sutcliff –  from her research library, the collection of titles and books which I inherited from her, and those I have acquired since her death in my role as her literary executor. (It it must be done, for we are moving house.)

Adventure Stories for Ten Year Olds, chosen by Helen PaibaAdventure Stories for Ten Year Olds ( Macmillan Children’s Books, 2001) was ‘compiled’ by Helen Paiba, and illustrated by Douglas Carrel. According to the blurb, Helen Paiba was “known as one of the most committed, knowledgeable, and acclaimed children’s booksellers in Britain.” For “more than twenty years she owned and ran the Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill, London, which under her guidance gained a superb reputation for its range of children’s books and for the advice available for its customers.” In 1995 she was awarded the Eleanor Farjeon Award, given for distinguished service to the world of children’s books.The story from Rosemary is an extract from Brother Dusty Feet (Oxford University Press, 1952, pp  23-33). It begins

“We’ve overslept,” said Hugh. “Yee-ow!” said Argos, leaping out of the ditch and stretching first his front legs and then his back ones, and yawning so wide that Hugh could see right down his pink throat.”

This set me musing;  wanting to re-energise this blog as a public space where readers and lovers of  the books and stories of Romie (as I knew her) share their enthusiasms and knowledge. So, I am prompted to ask: who is your favourite dog in a Rosemary Sutcliff book? Why? And maybe leave a quote with a reference if you have the book to hand. But if not, never mind, just recall the dog and why it meant something to you…and what! You can leave a comment below; or you can post at the You Write! tab at the top of the blog.

Finally here is the carping bit. The illustration provided of Hugo and Argos is not a patch to my mind on the ones by C Walter Hodges in the original. But worse, he collator of stories and the publishers  join the roll of dishonour of people who cannot spell Rosemary Sutcliff (sic) properly. As followers of this blog, readers and fans know only too well, Sutcliffe (sic) is not her name. And just to be really picky, they get the page reference wrong for the extract ….

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“Books – the best weapons in the world!” | Dr Who

Posted in Sutcliff Discovery of the Day, tagged , , , on June 30, 2012 | 2 Comments »

There are many reasons to celebrate the Dr Who of the BBC TV science fiction series fame – although in the context of this blog I cannot recall what Rosemary Sutcliff thought of it. However, she thought very highly of books and of libraries, from whom she often accepted invitations to talk with young and old alike, writing as she did for “children aged 8 to 88”. Her research depended upon the many books she borrowed from the London Library. This challenging picture from a library was tweeted by the admirable, lively Seven Stories, Britain’s gallery and archive that celebrates the wonderful world of children’s literature.

Source here

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Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel for children The Lantern Bearers won The Carnegie Medal in 1959

Posted in Autobiography & Biography, Awards, Song for a Dark Queen, The Eagle of the Ninth Book, The Mark of the Horse Lord, The Shining Company, Tristan and Iseult, tagged , , on April 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Cover of Japanese Edition of The Lantern Bearers

Rosemary Sutcliff won the Library Association Carnegie Medal in 1959 for her historical novel for children (“aged 8 to 88″ in her view) The Lantern Bearers. The Medal is awarded every year in the UK to the writer of an outstanding book for children. First awarded to Arthur Ransome for Pigeon Post, the medal is now awarded by CILIP: The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Both the Carnegie Medal and its sister award, the Kate Greenaway Medal are awarded annually. The 2012 shortlist was recently announced, and the winners will be named on Thursday 14th June.

The Library Association started the prize in 1936, in memory of the Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), a self-made industrialist who made his fortune in steel in the USA. The winner now receives a golden medal and some £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice. Rosemary Sutcliff also won or was nominated for many other awards in the UK and USA. (She won other awards in translation). She

Full list of Carnegie Medal winners here

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