Rumer Godden

Louise Harrington (Cardiff University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

Born 10 Dec 1907
Died 8 Nov 1998
Activity 1935-1997

Places

Born in England
Active in England; India

Activities

Primary

Autobiographer
Children's/Young Adult writer
Journalist
Novelist
Poet

Resources

Godden's Works

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One of the most widely-read of authors of the twentieth-century, Rumer Godden was always more of a popular success than a critical one, although her skills as a storyteller have always been much admired. In recent years, however, increasing attention is being paid to her vivid portrayals, in novels such as

Black Narcissus

(1939),

Breakfast with the Nikolides

(1942),

The River

(1946) and

Kingfishers Catch Fire

(1953), of the last years of British rule in India. Writings such as these betray a passionate but ambivalent relationship with India and with the Indian people.

Margaret Rumer (Peggie) Godden was born in Eastbourne on 10 December 1907, the second of four daughters. Her father, Arthur Leigh Godden, worked as an agent for a shipping company based in Calcutta, and the family returned

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1586 words

Citation: Harrington, Louise. "Rumer Godden". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 April 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1774, accessed 25 November 2024.]