Mary Norton
Mary Norton was a British author born on December 10, 1903, in London, England. She was the only daughter among five siblings and grew up in a Georgian-style manor house that inspired her beloved children's series, The Borrowers. After being educated in convent schools and briefly working as a secretary, Norton pursued acting with the Old Vic Theater Company before marrying Edward Norton in 1927 and relocating to Portugal. The couple had four children, and following her husband's enlistment in World War II, she moved to New York City, where she began writing to support her family.
Norton published her first book, The Magic Bed-Knob, in 1943, followed by its sequel, Bonfires and Broomsticks, in 1947. These works were later combined and adapted into a Disney film. However, she is best known for her 1952 book, The Borrowers, which centers on a family of tiny people living in secret alongside humans. This series earned her critical acclaim, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Norton continued to write until her later years and passed away on August 29, 1992, in Hartland, Devonshire, England.
Mary Norton
English children's literature author.
- Born: December 10, 1903
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: August 29, 1992
- Place of death: Hartland, Devonshire, England
Biography
Mary Norton was born in London, England, on December 10, 1903, the only girl of five children. Her family lived in a large Georgian-style manor house surrounded by meandering gardens. This childhood home would become the inspiration and setting for her popular children’s series, The Borrowers.
Norton was educated in convent schools. After finishing high school, she worked briefly as a secretary. Unhappy with secretarial work, Norton secured an acting job with the Old Vic Theater Company. In 1927, Norton gave up the theater to marry Edward Norton. Edward Norton’s family owned a ship business based in Portugal. After her marriage, Norton left England and moved to Portugal with her husband. There they had four children. Norton remained in Portugal until 1939.
At the onset of World War II, Norton’s husband enlisted in the military. Norton and her children moved to New York City with a grant from the British Purchasing Commission. At this time, Norton began writing short stories, essays, and translations in order to support her children.
In 1943, Norton published her first book, titled the Magic Bed-Knob. This work was followed by its sequel, Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947). These books were later revised under one title, Bedknob and Broomstick (1957), and sold to Walt Disney Studios for the motion picture adaptation Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). In 1952, Norton published The Borrowers, the first of a series of books. The Borrowers series, full of creative and humorous stories about a family of small people living alongside but hidden from regular humans, was awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal.
In the early 1970s, after Norton’s first marriage was dissolved, she married Lionel Boncey. She died on August 29, 1992, in Hartland, Devonshire, England.
Author Works
Children's Literature:
The Magic Bed-Knob: Or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons, 1943
Bonfires and Broomsticks, 1947
The Borrowers, 1952
The Borrowers Afield, 1955
Bedknob and Broomstick, 1957
The Borrowers Afloat, 1959
The Borrowers Aloft, 1961
Poor Stainless, 1966
Are All the Giants Dead?, 1975
The Borrowers Avenged, 1982
Bibliography
Hamilton, Vanessa. "Obituary: Mary Norton." Independent, 3 Sept. 1992, www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-mary-norton-1549307.html. Accessed 28 June 2017. This obituary provides a biographical overview on Norton and discussion of her major works, while including Hamilton's personal memories of Norton while acting as her publisher.
Kawabata, Ariko. "Sense of Loss, Belonging, and Storytelling: An Anglo-Indian Narrator in The Borrowers." Children's Literature in Education, vol. 37, no. 2, June 2006, pp. 125–31. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10583-006-9000-x. Accessed 28 June 2017. Provides critical analysis of the narrator figure of Norton's most famous work, including examination of parallels with The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Pace, Patricia. "The Body-In-Writing: Miniatures in Mary Norton's Borrowers." Text & Performance Quarterly, vol. 11, no. 4, Oct. 1991, p. 279. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=9325998&site=eds-live. Accessed 28 June 2017. Discusses the meaning of miniatures in the Borrowers series, including in relation to other children's literature.
Stott, John C. Mary Norton. Twayne, 1994. A standard biography of Norton.
Travis, Madelyn. "Mixed Messages: The Problem of Class in Mary Norton’s Borrowers Series." Children's Literature in Education, vol. 38, no. 3, Sept. 2007, pp. 187–194. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s10583-007-9044-6. Accessed 28 June 2017. Examines elements of social class in the Borrowers series through social and literary contextualization.