The Women Who Invented Twentieth-Century Childrens Literature

By focusing on a selection of women working across all aspects of the book production process, this book demonstrates that, both individually and collectively, women capitalized on their position as 'other' to the existing male institutions to produce many titles which are still considered 'classics' today

Publishing for children between 1930 and 1960 has been denigrated as a relatively fallow period for creativity and quality, certainly in comparison with the 'golden ages' of children's literature that preceded and succeeded it. This book questions this perception by using archival evidence to argue that the work of what was predominantly a female group of editors, illustrators, authors and librarians (collectively referred to as bookwomen) resulted in many titles which are still considered as 'classics' today. The bookwomen reframed ideas about how children's publishing should be approached and valued and, in doing so, laid the foundations for a subsequent generation of children's authors and publishers who were to achieve far greater prominence. The key to the success of the bookwomen was their willingness to experiment, the strength of their relationships and their comprehensive understanding of the book production process. By focusing on a selection of women working across all aspects of the book production process, this book demonstrates that, both individually and collectively, women capitalised on their position as 'other' to the existing male institutions.

Autorentext

Elizabeth West received her PhD from the University of Reading, awarded in June 2021 in children s book history. She received the David Almond Fellowship, Seven Stories/University of Newcastle, 2018 and the Brotherton Fellowship, University of Leeds, 2022. She is currently ECR Fellow at Reading s Centre for Book Cultures and Publishing. Dr West has presented papers at the IRSCL Congress, 2019; Women in Publishing Symposium, 2019; 25th NCRCL MA/IBBY UK Conference, 2018; and Children s History Society Conference, 2018. Publications include an article in Roundtable, 2(1), 5, and a chapter in the forthcoming The Edinburgh Companion to Women in Publishing, 1900 2000.

Inhalt

Introduction

• Children's Literature: the 'Brass Age'

• The influence of progressive education

• Good books for children

• Publishing as a career for women Chapter 1 'Brain, hand and heart' - the joint endeavours of UK and US bookwomen in the development of children's publishing

• American and British bookwomen

• The children's publishing scene in America

• American influences in Britain

• Bookwomen as mediators between the US and UK

• Ideological and political differences

• Bookwomen crossing boundaries

• The beginning and end of an era Chapter 2 From Bumpus to Puffin

• Biographical background

• Eleanor Graham and the 'good children's book'

• Improving the quality of books for children **

• The Children who Lived in a Barn

• Eleanor Graham's reputation and legacy Chapter 3 Panning for Gold: How libraries stimulated the demand for the best books for children

  Eileen Colwell and the development of children's librarianship

  The Junior Bookshelf: Communicating the need for quality

  How to select a good book for children

  Two Case Studies

• The Picts and the Martyrs

• Dream Gold

  'Sweeping away the cobwebs' Chapter 4 Creating a classic children's book: The contribution of British bookwomen

• Ursula Moray Williams' life and career

• Moray Williams and the publishing industry

• Classics, value and canonicity Chapter 5 'Building the Book Beautiful': Children's books as material objects

• The design and production of children's books

• Puffin Story Books

• Illustrations

• The pivotal role of the bookwomen

• Questions of ownership: the case of Henrietta the Faithful Hen
  Chapter 6 Pioneering picture books: Kathleen Hale and photolithography

• Mid-twentieth century children's book design

• Advances in British photolithographed picture books: where craft intersected with modernism

• Kathleen Hale: artist, illustrator and bookwoman

• Autolithography and the opportunities it offered Chapter 7 Amabel Williams-Ellis and links between radical ideology, progressive education and children's publishing

• Amabel Williams-Ellis **

• In and Out of Doors

• A radical text? Conclusion: '1960 has rather an exciting sound to me'

• A period of change

• Forgotten Labour

• The bookwomen's legacy