Elinor Farjon: Biography, Poems for Children

Elinor Farjon is an English storyteller and children's poetess, who at one time became known to Russian readers thanks to Nina Demurova and Olga Varshaver. They made a translation of her two fairy tales: "I want the moon" and "The Seventh Princess." Thus, Soviet editions of Elinor's works appeared. Despite the fact that this true Englishwoman was recognized as a children's writer, often her work becomes very interesting and for reading by adults.

Elinor Farjon, whose tales not only fell in love with her compatriots, but also managed to find her devoted readers around the world, also wrote children's poems. In many respects the secret of her success was that she filled all her works with a special author's philosophy.

Elinor Farjon: biography and family

This woman by nationality was an Englishwoman. She was born in February 1881. Most likely, she was destined to become a great writer, for in her family the cult of the book existed from the very beginning.

All her closest relatives were creative people. Father - Benjamin Farjon, was a popular English novelist. Margaret Farjon - the daughter of the famous American actor Joseph Jefferson, was the girl's mother.

A good taste and love for books and music parents instilled in children from childhood. The house was constantly playing music, reading and literary evenings were held. In addition to Elinor Farjon, three more sons grew up in the family. At home, her daughter was called Nellie, and everyone loved her very much, because she was one girl among the boys.

Education received

Elinor Farjon in childhood was a weak child and often sick. Since her father believed that every person should engage in their self-development and education, it was decided that the girl will study at home.

The creative atmosphere that surrounded the small Elinor everywhere, uniquely contributed to the fact that she very early began to write her first works.

Beginning of creativity

The first works of Elinor Farjon were poems and fairy tales. She also liked to recite ancient Greek myths and various biblical stories. All her works Elinor necessarily typed on the typewriter, since childhood she knew how to do it, and also she made the proof-reading of her works.

Literature and writing have always brought her sincere pleasure, but soon her talent became also an opportunity to receive material means for life, which were needed after the death of his father. Benjamin Farjon died when his daughter was only 22 years old, and at that moment Elinor realized that her work could not only lie at home and make friends and family happy, but also printed in various publications.

The first time children's poems, written by a girl, were printed in 1912 in the famous English journal Punch. In 1916 her first book, entitled "Children's Songs of Old London", was published. These were poems for children who very quickly found their fans.

Years of the First World War

When the war began, the writer was forced to leave London. Fardzhon moved to a simple small village and lived there as an ordinary peasant woman. She was a sincere person and was able to very quickly arrange for herself all the neighboring children, with many of whom Elinor really made friends.

These years were quite heavy, and the writer had a hard time: she drowned the stove alone, collected and brought brushwood, and was busy with the garden. But despite all the difficulties, Elinor Farjon did not stop writing. After the war, she returned to London and began to publish her books one by one.

Fairy tales and poems for children

Many critics believe that the poems written by Elinor represent the foundation of 20th-century child poetry in England. But admiring her innate talent for perfectly composing rhymes, do not forget that Farjon did quite well with prose. She is quite deservedly recognized as one of the best storytellers of the last century.

Her works are really very unusual: on the one hand, they are childishly kind, warm and homely, but on the other hand, they sometimes contradict the laws of logic and are able to evoke a feeling of slight fear even in adult readers. Her work is difficult to call trite and typical, because in them the happy ending, which is customary for most children's fairy tales, can not come at all, and a positive hero in the process of plot development may turn out to be an outlandish scoundrel. The works written by Farjon do not fall under any pattern, which makes their reading even more interesting and entertaining, because even an adult reader can not guess what a seemingly simple children's fairy tale will end.

Bibliography

Elinor Farjon, whose poems and fairy tales were printed and published many times, in her entire life she wrote more than 60 books. Among them there are several that are very popular:

• «Anonymous flower».
• "I want the moon."
• "Parrots".
• "Young Kate."
• "I'm shaking my baby."
• "The Seventh Princess."
• "Martin Pippin in the apple orchard."
• "Once, on a wonderful day".
• "Miracles. Herodotus. "
• "Ariadne and the bull."
• «The Crystal Slipper».
• "Nuts and May."
• "Kings and queens."
• "The soul of Kol Nykon."

World recognition and awards of the writer

The first official award Fardzhon received in 1955. For her children's works, Elinor was awarded the Carnegie Medal. Literally a year later, in 1956, the International Council of UNESCO, which dealt with issues of youth and children's literature, decided to make the writer the first laureate of the literary award them. G. K. Andersen.

She received it for a collection of his delightful tales called "The Little Library". To overestimate the value of the award received is very difficult, because among writers it is equated to the Nobel Prize. At the same time Farjon remained very simple and modest woman until the end of her days.

Over time, rumors about the writer's talent Elinor reached the royal family. Queen Elizabeth II decided to celebrate the writer a special privilege - she was granted a noble title. But in the life of Elinor herself this cardinally did not change anything.

Until the end of her days, she was very fond of animals, especially cats, and for her life was able to grow more than 120 kittens. Despite the incredible popularity and recognition throughout the world, the author of fairy tales, loved by thousands of children, lived very modestly. She loved to do household chores, cooked deliciously and grew flowers.

This lovely and talented woman did not become in 1965. She died in England at the age of 84 years.