Vera Chapman
Vera Chapman was a notable English fantasy novelist born on May 7, 1898, in Bournemouth, England. Her early life included a significant period in South Africa, followed by her return to England, where she became one of the first women to enroll as a full member at Oxford University. After graduating, she worked as a missionary alongside her husband. Chapman's literary career began quite late; her first fantasy novel, "The Green Knight," was published in 1975 when she was seventy-seven years old. She is well-known for her Arthurian-themed works, including "King Arthur's Daughter" and "The King's Damsel," which were collectively published under the title "The Three Damosels." In addition to her fiction, she authored nonfiction works focused on local history. A significant figure in the fantasy literature community, Chapman founded the Tolkien Society of Great Britain in 1969 and played a crucial role in connecting J.R.R. Tolkien to the organization. She passed away on May 14, 1996, leaving behind a diverse literary legacy.
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Vera Chapman
Writer
- Born: May 7, 1898
- Birthplace: Bournemouth, Hampshire, England
- Died: May 14, 1996
- Place of death: Croydon, Surrey, England
Biography
Fantasy novelist Vera Chapman was born on May 7, 1898, in Bournemouth, England. She grew up in South Africa with her family and then moved to Oxford, England, after World War I. Chapman was one of the first women to enroll in Oxford University as a full member. Following her graduation, she moved to Africa and worked as a missionary with her husband, who was a clergyman.
Chapman published her first fantasy novel The Green Knight, in 1975, when she was seventy-seven years old. In 1976, she published King Arthur’s Daughter and The King’s Damsel; these three Arthurian novels were published together under the title The Three Damosels in 1978. She is also the author of The Wife of Bath and Blaedud the Birdman, both published in 1978, and Miranty and the Alchemist, published in 1983. Chapman also wrote two nonfiction books: Around Darlington in Old Photographs, published in 1990, and Croft, Hurworth, Neasham, Middleton, and Dinsdale in Old Picture Postcards, published in 1996. The Notorious Abbess, a collection of interwoven short stories set in twelfth century England, came out in 1993. Her final novel was The Enchantresses, published posthumously in 1998, which she cowrote with Mike Ashley.
Chapman founded the Tolkien Society of Great Britain in 1969 and served as its secretary for six years. She persuaded J. R. R. Tolkien to become honorary president of the organization after meeting him in 1972. She continued to attend meetings of the Tolkien Society throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s. She died on May 14, 1996, in Croydon, England.