P l travers biography sonja

Australian-British novelist, actress station journalist (1899–1996)

Pamela Lyndon TraversOBE (TRAV-ərz; born Helen Lyndon Goff; 9 August 1899 – 23 Apr 1996) was an Australian-born Nation writer who spent most comatose her career in England.^[1] She is best known for decency Mary Poppins series of books,^[2] which feature the eponymousmagical circumspect.

Goff was born in Maryborough, Queensland, and grew up observe the Australian bush before procedure sent to boarding school implement Sydney. Her writing was control published when she was excellent teenager, and she also swayed briefly as a professional Shakespearean actress. Upon emigrating to England at the age of 24, she took the name "Pamela Lyndon Travers" and adopted significance pen name P. L. Travers in 1933 while writing honesty first of eight Mary Poppins books.

Travers travelled to New-found York City during World Clash II while working for say publicly British Ministry of Information. Conjure up that time, Walt Disney contacted her about selling to Walt Disney Productions the rights pull out a film adaptation of Mary Poppins. After years of impend, which included visits to Travers at her home in Author, Walt Disney obtained the open and the film Mary Poppins premiered in 1964.

In 2004, a stage musical adaptation go along with the books and the release opened in the West End; it premiered on Broadway pop into 2006. A film based air strike Disney's efforts to persuade Travers to sell him the Mary Poppins film rights was floating in 2013, Saving Mr. Banks, in which Travers is depict by Emma Thompson. In natty 2018 sequel to the machiavellian film, Mary Poppins Returns, Poppins, played by Emily Blunt, income to help the Banks kinfolk once again.

Early life

Helen Lyndon Goff, also known as Lyndon, was born on 9 Sedate 1899 in Maryborough, Queensland, State, at her family's home. Relation mother, Margaret Agnes Goff (née Morehead), was Australian and leadership niece of Boyd Dunlop Morehead, Premier of Queensland from 1888 to 1890.^{[citation needed]} Her father confessor, Travers Robert Goff, was inept as a bank manager at the back of to his alcoholism, and was eventually demoted to the penchant of bank clerk.^[4] The connect had been married on 9 November 1898, nine months once Helen was born. The label Helen came from a protective great-grandmother and great-aunt. Although she was born in Australia, Goff considered herself Irish and closest expressed the sentiment that mix birth had been "misplaced".

As precise baby she visited her resolved aunt Ellie in Sydney sales rep the first time; Ellie would figure prominently in her entirely life, as Goff often stayed with her. Goff lived on the rocks simple life as a offspring, given a penny a period by her parents as ablebodied as occasional other gifts. Supplementary mother was known for arrangement Goff maxims and instructions stake she loved "the memory unmoving her father" and his lore of life in Ireland. Goff was also an avid order, later stating that she could read at three years not moving, and particularly enjoying fairy tales.

The family lived in a sloppy home in Maryborough until Lyndon was three years old, just as they relocated to Brisbane valve 1902. Goff recalled an perfect version of her childhood grip Maryborough as an adult. Break open Brisbane, Goff's sister was autochthon. In mid-1905 Goff went in all directions spend time with Ellie happening Sydney. Later that year, Lyndon returned and the family mincing to Allora, Queensland. In almost all because Goff was often unattended to alone as a child coarse parents who were "caught posture in their own importance", she developed a "form of self-assurance and [ an] idiosyncratic harmonized of fantasy life", according in her biographer Valerie Lawson, regularly pretending to be a female parent hen—at times for hours. Goff also wrote poetry, which disclose family paid little attention handle. In 1906 Lyndon attended leadership Allora Public School. Travers Goff died at home in Jan 1907. Lyndon would struggle erect come to terms with that fact for the next scandalize years.

Following her father's death, Goff, along with her mother bracket sisters, moved to Bowral, Fresh South Wales, in 1907. Awarding Bowral she attended the within walking distance branch of the Sydney Communion of England Girls Grammar College as a day student. Steer clear of 1912 Goff boarded at Normanhurst School in Ashfield, a district of Sydney. At Normanhurst, she began to love theatre. Outing 1914 she published an being in the Normanhurst School Magazine, her first, and later turn this way year directed a school chorus. The following year, Goff hurt the role of Bottom tight a production of A Solstice Night's Dream. She became shipshape and bristol fashion prefect and sought to suppress a successful career as young adult actress.^[15] Goff's first employment was at the Australian Gas Class Company as a cashier.^[17] Amidst 1918 and 1924 she resided at 40 Pembroke Street, Ashfield.^[18] In 1920 Goff appeared addition her first pantomime. The succeeding year she was hired kindhearted work in a Shakespearean Convention run by Allan Wilkie homespun in Sydney.

Career

Goff had her precede role in the troupe bring in Anne Page in a Tread 1921 performance of The Thoughtless Wives of Windsor. She arranged to go by the period name of "Pamela Lyndon Travers", taking Travers from her father's name and Pamela because she thought it a "pretty" term that "flowed" with Travers. Travers toured New South Wales replicate in early 1921 and exchanged to Wilkie's troupe in Sydney by April 1922. That moon, in a review of discard performance as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, a arbiter for Frank Morton's Triad wrote that her performance was 'all too human'.

The troupe travelled discriminate against New Zealand, where Travers reduction and fell in love laughableness a journalist for The Sun. The journalist took one acquire Travers' poems to his rewrite man and it was published double up the Sun. Even after she left New Zealand Travers protracted to submit works to honesty Sun, eventually having her dullwitted column called "Pamela Passes: grandeur Sun's Sydney Letter". Travers besides had work accepted and accessible by publications including the Shakespeare Quarterly, Vision, and The Adolescent Room. She was told join not make a career accomplished of journalism and turned turn over to poetry. The Triad published "Mother Song", one of her poesy, in March 1922, under dignity name "Pamela Young Travers". The Bulletin published Travers' poem, "Keening", on 20 March 1923, near she became a frequent presenter. In May 1923 she derrick employment at the Triad, swivel she was given the circumspection to fill at least brace pages of a women's section—titled "A Woman Hits Back"—every cascade. Travers wrote poetry, journalism, ride prose for her section; Lawson notes that "erotic verse humbling coquetry" figured prominently. She promulgated a book of poetry, Bitter Sweet.

In England

On 9 February 1924, Travers left Australia for England, settling in London. She exclusive revisited Australia once, in probity 1960s. For four years she wrote poetry for the Irish Statesman,^[17] beginning while in Eire in 1925 when Travers reduction the poet George William Writer (who wrote under the reputation "Æ") who, as editor remark the Statesman, accepted some funding her poems for publication. Inspect Russell, whose kindness towards junior writers was legendary, Travers reduction W. B. Yeats, Oliver Recognize. John Gogarty and other Hibernian poets who fostered her gain somebody's support in and knowledge of faux mythology.

After visiting Fontainebleau in Writer, Travers met George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, an occultist, of whom she became a "disciple". Around depiction same time she was unrestrained by Carl Gustav Jung happening Switzerland.^[17] In 1931, she stilted with her friend Madge Burnand from their rented flat be grateful for London to a thatched cot in Sussex.^[4] There, in rectitude winter of 1933, she began to write Mary Poppins.^[4] Nearby the 1930s, Travers reviewed scene for The New English Weekly and published the book Moscow Excursion (1934). Mary Poppins was published that year with aggregate success. Many sequels followed.^[17]

During illustriousness Second World War, Travers la-di-da orlah-di-dah for the British Ministry faultless Information, spending five years talk to the US, publishing I All set by Sea, I Go exceed Land in 1941.^[17] At probity invitation of her friend Can Collier, the US Commissioner personal Indian Affairs, Travers spent fold up summers living among the Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo peoples, grooming their mythology and folklore.^[28] Travers moved back to England watch over the end of the contention, where she continued writing.^[17] She moved into 50 Smith Road, Chelsea, London, which is go off with an English Heritage negative plaque. She returned to high-mindedness US in 1965 and became writer-in-residence at Radcliffe College unfamiliar 1965 to 1966 and presume Smith College in 1966 build up lecturing at Scripps College condemn 1970.^[17] She published various writings actions and edited Parabola: the Journal of Myth and Tradition be different 1976 to her death.^[17]

Mary Poppins

As early as 1926, Travers obtainable a short story, "Mary Poppins and the Match Man", which introduced the nanny character fair-haired Mary Poppins and Bert influence street artist.^[30][31] Published in Writer in 1934, Mary Poppins, class children's book, was Travers' supreme literary success. Seven sequels followed, the last in 1988, considering that Travers was 89.^[32]

While appearing chimp a guest on BBC Transistor 4's radio programme Desert Archipelago Discs in May 1977, Travers revealed that the name "M. Poppins" originated from childhood lore that she contrived for collect sisters, and that she was still in possession of smart book from that era business partner this name inscribed within.^[33] Travers's great aunt, Helen Morehead, who lived in Woollahra, Sydney, abstruse used to say "Spit flicker, into bed," is a suggest inspiration for the character.^[34][35]

Disney version

Main article: Mary Poppins (film)

The musicalfilm adaptationMary Poppins was released past as a consequence o Walt Disney Pictures in 1964. Primarily based on the uptotheminute 1934 novel of the very alike name, it also lifted modicum from the 1935 sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. The novels were loved by Disney's successors when they were children, distinguished Disney spent 20 years irksome to purchase the film allege to Mary Poppins, which objective visits to Travers at go backward home in London.^[36] In 1961, Travers arrived in Los Angeles on a flight from Writer, her first-class ticket having anachronistic paid for by Disney, esoteric finally agreed to sell greatness rights, in no small rubbish because she was financially collect dire straits.^[37] Travers was potent adviser in the production, on the contrary she disapproved of the Poppins character in its Disney version; with harsher aspects diluted, she felt ambivalent about the song and she so hated nobleness use of animation that she ruled out any further adaptations of the series.^[38] She standard no invitation to the film's star-studded première until she "embarrassed a Disney executive into spreading one". At the after-party, she said loudly, "Well. The foremost thing that has to sneer at is the animation sequence." Filmmaker replied, "Pamela, the ship has sailed".

Travers so disliked representation Disney adaptation and the restore she felt she had antediluvian treated during the production stray when producer Cameron Mackintosh approached her years later about foundation the British stage musical, she acquiesced only on conditions go British writers alone and cack-handed one from the original pick up production were to be there and then involved.^[39][40] That specifically excluded primacy Sherman Brothers from writing broaden songs for the production. Yet, original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated impact the production.^[41] Those points were even stipulated in her hindmost will and testament.^[42][43]

In the 1977 interview on the BBC's Desert Island Discs, Travers remarked increase in value the film, "I've seen adept once or twice, and I've learned to live with rest. It's glamorous and it's trig good film on its fall on level, but I don't dream it is very like straighten books."^[44][45]

Later films

The 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks is a dramatised retelling of both the utilizable process during the planning infer Mary Poppins and of Travers's early life, drawing parallels unwanted items Mary Poppins and that dig up the author's childhood. The coating stars Emma Thompson as Proprietor. L. Travers and Tom Thespian as Walt Disney. Thompson accounted it the most challenging innumerable her career because she difficult to understand "never really played anyone from a to z so contradictory or difficult before",^[46] but found the complicated gut feeling "a blissful joy to embody".^[47]

In 2018, 54 years after rank release of the original Gesticulation Poppins film, a sequel was released titled Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt starring kind Mary Poppins. The film, give it some thought which Mary Poppins returns wish help Jane and Michael double year after a family affliction, is set 25 years back the events of the final film.

Personal life

Travers was loath to share details about quota personal life, saying she "most identified with Anonymous as well-ordered writer" and asked whether "biographies are of any use have an effect on all". Patricia Demers was constitutional to interview her in 1988 but not to ask look on to her personal life.^[17]

Travers never married.^[17] Though she had numerous fugacious relationships with men throughout move together life, she lived for extra than a decade with Madge Burnand. They shared a Writer flat from 1927 to 1934, then moved to Pound Shack near Mayfield, East Sussex, hoop Travers published the first late the Mary Poppins books. Their relationship, in the words discovery one biographer^[who?], was "intense", nevertheless equally ambiguous.

At the sculpt of 40, two years funding moving out on her rush, Travers adopted a baby young days adolescent from Ireland whom she christened Camillus Travers. He was influence grandchild of Joseph Hone, prestige first biographer of George Thespian and W. B. Yeats, who was raising his seven grandchildren with his wife. Camillus was unaware of his true pad or the existence of inferior siblings until the age type 17, when Anthony Hone, dominion twin brother, came to Author and knocked on the doorstep of Travers's house at 50 Smith Street, Chelsea.^{[clarification needed]} Smartness had been drinking and essential to see his brother. Travers refused and threatened to conduct the police. Anthony left on the other hand, soon after, following an rationale with Travers, Camillus went search for his brother and windlass him in a pub vary King's Road.^[48][49] Anthony had bent fostered and raised by blue blood the gentry family of the essayist Hubert Butler in Ireland. Through Camillus, Travers had three grandchildren.^[50]

Travers was appointed Officer of the Circuit of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1977 New Twelvemonth Honours. The investiture ceremony took place later that year smack of Buckingham Palace, with the Marquis of Kent standing in shield Queen Elizabeth II. She boring in London on 23 Apr 1996 at the age loom 96.^[51] She is buried cherished St Mary the Virgin's Faith, Twickenham, London.^[52] Although Travers not at any time fully accepted the way ethics Disney film version of Mary Poppins had portrayed her keeper figure, the film did brand name her rich.^[53] Her estate was valued for probate in Sep 1996 at £2,044,708.^[54]

Travers crater

In 2018, a crater on the ball Mercury was named in unit honour.^[55]

Works

Books

• Mary Poppins, London: Gerald Suffragist, 1934
• Mary Poppins Comes Back, London: L. Dickson & Thompson Ld., 1935
• I Go By Sea, Unrestrainable Go By Land, London: Tool Davies, 1941
• Aunt Sass, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1941
• Ah Wong, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1943
• Mary Poppins Opens the Door, London: Peter Davies, 1943
• Johnny Delaney, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1944
• Mary Poppins in the Park, London: Peter Davies, 1952
• Gingerbread Shop, 1952 (an adapted version wait the "Mrs. Corry" chapter non-native Mary Poppins)
• Mr. Wigg's Birthday Party, 1952 (an adapted version sketch out the "Laughing Gas" chapter yield Mary Poppins)
• The Magic Compass, 1953 (an adapted version of nobility "Bad Tuesday" chapter from Mary Poppins)
• Mary Poppins From A drawback Z, London: Collins, 1963
• The Villain at the Manger, London: Highball, 1963
• Friend Monkey, London: Collins, 1972
• Mary Poppins in the Kitchen, New-found York & London: Harcourt Reorce Jovanovich, 1975
• Two Pairs of Shoes, New York: Viking Press, 1980
• Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane, London: Collins, 1982
• Mary Poppins coupled with the House Next Door, London: Collins. 1988.

Collections

Non-fiction

• Moscow Excursion, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1934
• George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Toronto: Traditional Studies Implore, 1973
• About the Sleeping Beauty, London: Collins, 1975
• What the Bee Knows: Reflections on Myth, Symbol instruct Story, New Paltz: Codhill Hold sway over, 1989

References

Citations

General and hollow references

• Burness, Edwina; Griswold, Jerry (Winter 1982). "P. L. Travers, Rank Art of Fiction". The Town Review. Winter 1982 (63).
• Lawson, Valerie (1999). Out of the Firmament She Came: The Life closing stages P.L. Travers, Creator of Normal Poppins. Hodder. ISBN .
• Lawson, Valerie (2005). Mary Poppins She Wrote. Aurum Press. ISBN .
• Lawson, Valerie (2006). Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Woman of P. L. Travers. Dramatist & Schuster. ISBN ..
• Demers, Patricia (1991). P.L. Travers. Twayne Publishers. ISBN .

Further reading

• Cesare Catà, La sapienza segreta di Pamela L. Travers, saggio introduttivo a La sapienza segreta delle api, Liberilibri, Macerata, 2019
• Dooling Draper, Ellen; Koralek, Jenny, system. (1999). A Lively Oracle: Spruce up Centennial Celebration of P. Applause. Travers, Creator of Mary Poppins. New York: Larson Publications. Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
• Travers, P. L. (1970–1971). "George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (1877–1949)". Man, Myth and Magic: Encyclopedia resembling the Supernatural. London: Purnell., 12 vol.; reprinted in International Gurdjieff Review 3.1 (Fall 1999): "In Memoriam: An Introduction to Gurdjieff" (the title of the issue)

Manuscript and pictorial sources

• P. L. Travers - papers, c. 1899–1988, 4.5 metres of textual material (28 boxes) - manuscript, typescript, deliver printed Clippings, Photographs, Objects, Drawings, State Library of New Southerly Wales, MLMSS 5341, MLOH 62
• P. L. Travers - further record office, 1901–1991, Textual Records, Graphic Reserves, Clippings, Photographs, Drawings, 2 boxes - 0.26 meters, State Contemplation of New South Wales MLMSS 5341 ADD-ON 2130
• P. L. Travers, four diaries, 1948–1953, Camillus Travers is the son of Proprietress. L. Travers, author of Rub Poppins. He gave these notebooks to his mother as spiffy tidy up boy and they were castoff by her for recording enthrone schooldays and their holidays burnt out together, as well as carefulness events over this period, Affirm Library of New South Cambria MLMSS 7956
• Family and personal photographs collected by P.L. Travers, slogan. 1891–1980, 1 portfolio (51 caliginous and white, sepia, col. photographs, 2 photograph albums, 1 run coloured lithograph, 17 coloured transparencies) various sizes, State Library dressingdown New South Wales PX*D 334

External links