Nina Bawden
Nina Bawden was a notable British author born on January 19, 1925, in London. She experienced the impact of World War II firsthand, as her family was evacuated to a mining village in South Wales, where she lived with local families and spent summers on a farm. These formative experiences influenced her writing, leading to the creation of acclaimed novels such as *Carrie's War* and *Keeping Henry*. Bawden began writing at a young age and pursued her education at Somerville College, Oxford, graduating with a degree in politics, philosophy, and economics. Throughout her career, she produced a prolific range of works for both children and adults, emphasizing the importance of her contributions to children's literature. Her book *Carrie's War* earned significant recognition, including the Phoenix Award and a BBC adaptation. Bawden was also the recipient of multiple awards for her literary work, including a Booker Prize nomination and the Yorkshire Post novel of the year award. In 1995, she was honored with the title of Companion of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to literature.
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Subject Terms
Nina Bawden
Writer
- Born: January 19, 1925
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: August 22, 2012
Biography
Nina Bawden was born in London on January 19, 1925, the daughter of Charles and Ellalaine Ursula Mabey. She and her family were evacuated from London during World War II to a South Wales mining village. During the school year, Bawden lived with mining families. She spent her summers on a farm, where she learned to drive a tractor and care for farm animals. These experiences gave her material that she later used in her novels Carrie’s War (1973) and Keeping Henry (1988). She began writing at a young age. In her autobiography, she said, “I wrote plays for my toy theater and an epic poem in blank verse.”
She attended Somerville College, Oxford, on a scholarship, where she studied politics, philosophy, and economics. She graduated in 1946 with a B.A. and earned an M.A. in 1951. In 1960, she attended the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies. By this time, she had published six novels. She married H. W. Bawden in 1946, and they had two sons. In 1954, she married Austen Kark, former managing director of the external services for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), with whom she had a daughter.
Bawden was a versatile writer; she produced a large body of novels for children and young adults, as well as many novels for adults. According to Twentieth Century Children’s Writers, she was “one of the very few children’s authors who will admit to making a conscious adjustment to writing for children.” Bawden herself commented, “I consider my books for children as important as my adult work, and in some ways more challenging.” Carrie’s War won the Phoenix Award of the Children’s Literature Association in 1993 and was the subject of a BBC television presentation. The Witch’s Daughter (1968) was also a BBC presentation. The Peppermint Pig (1975) was a Guardian Award winner for 1976. Kept in the Dark (1982) and The Finding (1985) each won a Parents’ Choice citation. In addition to many awards for her children’s books, she received the Yorkshire Post novel of the year award and a Booker Prize nomination. In 1995, she was made a companion of the Order of the British Empire.