Mary Wesley

[auscatherine]

Anyone else a fan? I read Cammomile Lawn recently and really enjoyed it. It really brings the past (1940s alive). I wonder if she and Enid Blyton ever crossed paths. They were probably moving in quite different circles, I imagine. Anyone I am about to read a biography of Mary Wesley so will find out more about her then.

[Eddie Muir]

I have read all Mary Wesley's novels, Catherine and found them very enjoyable. It's interesting to note that her first adult novel, Jumping the Queue, wasn't published until 1983 when she was 70 years old. Several of her books have been filmed. A film version of The Camomile Lawn was made in 1992 and starred Jennifer Ehle and Felicity Kendal. It was serialised on UK television. Mary Wesley had previously written two children's books, Speaking Terms and The Sixth Seal, both published in 1969. She died in 2002 at the age of 90.

[auscatherine]

Thanks Eddie. I will have to look into those. It is amazing to think that she didn't have her work published until so late in her life. Maybe this was deliberate because of the semi-autobiographical nature of her books (ie, had to wait until the real life protagonists were no longer around to get offended)?