Angela Brazil
Angela Brazil was an English author born on November 30, 1869, in Lancashire. She was the youngest child of a cotton mill manager and a mother who emigrated from Brazil. Brazil's upbringing included various moves due to her father's work, and she received her education at private academies, where she formed friendships that would influence her writing. After studying at Heatherly's Art School in London, she worked as a governess before pursuing a successful writing career.
Brazil is renowned for her works in children's literature, particularly her contributions to the subgenre of boarding school stories. Her first book, "A Terrible Tomboy," was published in 1904, and she continued to produce an impressive number of titles over the next four decades, with an emphasis on themes of friendship, adventure, and loyalty. Her characters often engaged in sports and artistic pursuits, reflecting her interests and experiences. While her early works were praised for their suspenseful plots and relatable characters, later critiques noted a shift towards more formulaic writing. Despite some resistance from educators regarding her use of slang, Brazil’s novels gained popularity, resonating with young readers and providing them with aspirational narratives. She passed away on March 13, 1947, in Coventry.
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Angela Brazil
- Born: November 30, 1869
- Birthplace: Preston, Lancashire, England
- Died: March 13, 1947
Biography
Angela Brazil was born on November 30, 1869, at her family’s West Cliff home at Preston in Lancashire, England, the youngest child of Clarence Brazil, who managed cotton mills, and Angelica McKinnell Brazil, who had emigrated from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when she was a child. Angela resided in several locations, including Egremont, Manchester, and Bolton, depending on her father’s employment assignments. She vacationed with her family in Wales and at the seashore.
Brazil studied at a private academy, Miss Knowles’s Select Ladies’ School, in Wallasey. She began high school courses at Manchester, becoming friends with classmates whose relationships influenced her later novels, prior to enrolling in Ellerslie College for girls, also at Manchester.
Brazil went to London when she was eighteen to study in the Heatherly’s Art School studio. She earned income as a governess. In 1899, her father died. Her mother and a sister shared a cottage in Wales with Brazil and accompanied her on a trip to the Middle East and throughout Europe.
Beginning in 1911, Brazil resided in her brother’s house at Coventry, England. Her mother died four years later, and Brazil’s sister moved into her siblings’ Coventry home. Active in the Coventry Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Coventry Natural History and Scientific Society, Brazil served as an officer for those groups. She exhibited her flower paintings at galleries. Brazil died on March 13, 1947, at Coventry.
Brazil wrote five plays, each featuring fairy-tale elements, from 1899 to 1904, starting with The Mischievous Brownie. She penned stories for Our School Magazine, Little Folks, and other periodicals. Brazil created text and illustrations for her first book, A Terrible Tomboy, published in 1904. Two years later, her publisher distributed Brazil’s first boarding-school girl book, The Fortunes of Philippa, inspired by her mother’s memories. Brazil wrote a new title, sometimes more, annually for the next forty- one years, including her autobiography, My Own Schooldays.
Brazil’s books emphasize friendship, adventure, loyalty, and service, especially in books written during World War I. Her books depict girls playing sports, being artistic, and resolving mysteries and problems. Her books often contain autobiographical elements, enabling Brazil to create fictionally ideal situations, including activities she wished her schools had offered. While riding trains, Brazil listened to girls to learn jargon and observed details useful to develop believable characters.
Critics have commented that Brazil’s early works contain suspenseful plots and realistic characterizations, noting however that her final works are often formulaic and immature. Although Brazil’s novels were not the first schoolgirl stories about British girls’ boarding schools, her books helped to establish that children’s literature subgenre. During the early twentieth century, publishers issued her popular novels in both English and U.S. editions.
Readers identified with Brazil’s characters, whose interests, emotions, and opinions were familiar and appealing. Brazil’s books provided readers examples of possible aspirations and intriguing endeavors. Although Brazil’s young characters usually respected adults, many teachers and administrators disapproved of Brazil’s inclusion of slang, sometimes forbidding students to read her books.