Margaret Rumer Godden (10 December 1907 – 8 November 1998) was a British author of more than 60

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

and

non-fiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or content (media), media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real life, real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to pre ...

books. Nine of her works have been made into films, most notably '' Black Narcissus'' in 1947 and '' The River'' in 1951. A few of her works were co-written with her elder sister, novelist Jon Godden, including ''Two Under the Indian Sun'', a memoir of the Goddens' childhood in a region of India now part of

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Early life

Godden was born in

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, England. She grew up with her three sisters in

Narayanganj Narayanganj () is a city in central Bangladesh in the Greater Dhaka area. It is in the Narayanganj District, about southeast of the capital city of Dhaka. With a population of almost 1 million, it is the 6th largest city in Bangladesh. It is als ...

colonial India Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during and after the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spice trade, spices. The search for ...

(later

), where her father, a shipping company executive, worked for the Brahmaputra Steam Navigation Company. Her parents sent the girls to England for schooling, as was the custom of the time, but brought them back to Narayanganj when the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

began. Godden returned to the United Kingdom with her sisters to continue her interrupted schooling in 1920, spending time at

Moira House School Moira House School was an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 6 weeks to 18 years in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, from 1887 to 2020, but founded in Surrey in 1875. Moira House was an inter-denominational school. In March 20 ...

in Eastbourne and eventually training as a dance teacher. She went back to

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

in 1925 and opened a dance school for English and Indian children. Godden ran the school for 20 years with the help of her sister Nancy. During this time she published her first best-seller, the 1939 novel '' Black Narcissus''.

Writing career

In 1942, after eight years in an unhappy marriage (one she entered into in 1934 because she was pregnant), she moved with her two daughters, Jane and Paula, (her husband Laurence Foster having joined the army) to

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

, living first on a houseboat and then in a rented house where she started a farm. The novel '' Kingfishers Catch Fire'' was based on her time in Kashmir. After a mysterious incident in which it appeared that an attempt had been made to poison both her and her daughters, she returned to Calcutta in 1944. She returned to the United Kingdom in 1945 to concentrate on her writing, frequently moving house but living mostly in

and London. She was divorced in 1948. After returning from America to oversee the script for the movie of her book '' The River'', Godden married civil servant James Haynes Dixon on 26November 1949. In the early 1950s Godden became interested in the Catholic Church, though she did not officially convert until 1968, and several of her later novels contain sympathetic portrayals of Catholic priests and nuns. In addition to ''Black Narcissus'', two of her books deal with the subject of women in religious communities. In ''Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy'' and '' In This House of Brede'' she acutely examined the balance between the mystical, spiritual aspects of religion and the practical, human realities of religious life. A number of Godden's novels are set in India, the atmosphere of which she evokes through all the senses; her writing is vivid with detail of smells, textures, light, flowers, noises and tactile experiences. Her books for children, especially her several doll stories, strongly convey the secret thoughts, confusions, disappointments and aspirations of childhood. Her plots often involve unusual young people not recognised for their talents by ordinary lower- or middle-class people but supported by the educated, rich, and upper-class, to the anger, resentment, and puzzlement of their relatives. She won a 1972 Whitbread award for '' The Diddakoi'', a young adult novel about Gypsies, televised by the BBC as '' Kizzy''.

Later life and death

In 1968 she took the tenancy of Lamb House in

Rye, East Sussex Rye is a town and civil parish in the Rother District, Rother district of East Sussex, England, from the sea at the confluence of three rivers: the River Rother (Eastern), Rother, the River Tillingham, Tillingham and the River Brede, Brede. An ...

, where she lived until the death of her husband in 1973. She moved to Moniaive in

Dumfriesshire Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries or Shire of Dumfries () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county in southern Scotland. The Dumfries lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area covers a similar area to the hi ...

in 1978, when she was 70, to be near her daughter Jane. She was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in 1993. She visited India once more, in 1994, returning to Kashmir for the filming of a BBC ''Bookmark'' documentary about her life and books. Rumer Godden died on 8 November 1998 at the age of 90 after a series of strokes; her ashes were buried with those of her second husband in Rye.

Works

Books for adults

Fiction

* 1936 ''Chinese Puzzle'', her first published book-length work * 1937 ''The Lady and the Unicorn'' * 1939 '' Black Narcissus'', a story about the disorientation of British Anglican nuns in India; the first of her books to be adapted for the screen, as the film of the same name in 1947; a radio adaptation was also broadcast in 2008. A BBC mini-series was announced in September 2019 and aired in late 2020. * 1940 ''Gypsy, Gypsy'' * 1942 '' Breakfast with the Nikolides'' * 1945 '' A Fugue in Time'', published in the US as ''Take Three Tenses'', made into the film '' Enchantment'' in 1948 starring David Niven and

Teresa Wright Muriel Teresa Wright (October 27, 1918 – March 6, 2005) was an American actress. She won the 1942 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Carol Beldon in ''Mrs. Miniver''. She was nominated for the same award in 1941 for her ...

* 1946 ''The River'', made into a film in 1951 directed by

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

; she collaborated on the screenplay for the film. * 1947 ''A Candle for St. Jude'' * 1950 ''A Breath of Air'' * 1953 '' Kingfishers Catch Fire'' * 1956 '' An Episode of Sparrows'', made into the film '' Innocent Sinners'' in 1958 * 1957 ''Mooltiki, and Other Stories and Poems of India'' * 1958 ''The Greengage Summer'', made into a film in 1961 * 1961 ''China Court: The Hours of a Country House'' * 1963 ''The Battle of the Villa Fiorita'', filmed in 1965 * 1968 ''Gone: A Thread of Stories'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1968 ''Swans and Turtles'' (short stories) * 1969 '' In This House of Brede'', follows Philippa along with other cloistered Benedictine nuns in the abbey of Brede in

, through Philippa's first years in the abbey; made into a 1975 television film starring

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

* 1975 ''The Peacock Spring'', adapted for television in 1995 * 1979 ''Five For Sorrow, Ten For Joy'' * 1981 ''The Dark Horse'' * 1984 ''Thursday's Children'' (Viking, New York) * 1989 ''Indian Dust'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1990 ''Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love: Stories'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1991 ''Coromandel Sea Change'' * 1994 ''Pippa Passes'' * 1997 ''Cromartie vs. the God Shiva'', her last novel

Non-fiction

* 1943 ''Rungli-Rungliot'' – republished in 1961 as ''Thus Far and No Further'' * 1945 ''Bengal Journey: A Story of the Part Played by Women in the Province, 1939–1945'' * 1955 ''Hans Christian Andersen'' (biography) * 1966 ''Two Under the Indian Sun'' (childhood memories – written with Jon Godden) * 1968 ''Mrs. Manders' Cook Book'' * 1971 ''The Tale of the Tales: Beatrix Potter Ballet'' * 1972 ''Shiva's Pigeons'' (written with Jon Godden) * 1977 ''The Butterfly Lions'' * 1980 ''Gulbadan: Portrait of a Rose Princess at the Mughal Court'' * 1987 ''A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep'', an autobiography * 1989 ''A House with Four Rooms'', an autobiography

Children's books

* 1947 ''The Doll's House'', made into an animated series: '' Tottie: The Story of a Doll's House'' * 1951 ''The Mousewife'' * 1952 ''Mouse House'' * 1954 ''Impunity Jane: The Story of a Pocket Doll'' * 1956 ''The Fairy Doll'' * 1958 '' The Story of Holly and Ivy'' * 1960 ''Candy Floss'' * 1961 ''Saint Jerome and the Lion'' (retelling of the legend in verse) * 1961 ''Miss Happiness and Miss Flower'', about Japanese dolls and the house built for them. * 1963 ''Little Plum'', the sequel to ''Miss Happiness and Miss Flower'' * 1964 ''Home is the Sailor'' * 1967 ''The Kitchen Madonna'': two children make an icon for their Ukrainian housekeeper, a war refugee. * 1969 ''Operation Sippacik'' * 1972 '' The Diddakoi'' (also published as ''Gypsy Girl''), a children's book and winner of the Whitbread Award. Adapted by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

as a radio drama of the same name starring Nisa Cole, and for television as '' Kizzy''. * 1972 ''The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle'' * 1975 ''Mr. McFadden's Hallowe'en'' * 1977 ''The Rocking Horse Secret'' * 1978 ''A Kindle of Kittens'' * 1981 ''The Dragon of Og'' * 1983 ''Four Dolls'' * 1983 ''The Valiant Chatti-Maker'' * 1984 ''Mouse Time: Two Stories'' * 1990 ''Fu-Dog'' * 1992 ''Great Grandfather's House'' * 1992 ''Listen to the Nightingale'' * 1996 ''The Little Chair'' * 1996 ''Premlata and the Festival of Lights ''

Poetry

* 1949 ''In Noah's Ark'' * 1968 ''A Letter to the World'' (based on the works of Emily Dickinson) * 1996 ''Cockcrow to Starlight: A Day Full of Poetry'' (anthology for children) * 1996 ''A Pocket Book of Spiritual Poems''

Short stories

*Possession

Translations

* 1963 ''Prayers from the Ark'', a translation of a collection of poems by French author Carmen Bernos de Gasztold * 1967 ''The Beasts' Choir'', a translation of a collection of poems by French author Carmen Bernos de Gasztold

References

External links

The Rumer Godden Literary Trust
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Godden, Rumer 1907 births 1998 deaths 20th-century British novelists 20th-century British women writers 20th-century Roman Catholics British people in colonial India British Roman Catholic writers British women children's writers British women novelists Converts to Roman Catholicism Costa Book Award winners Narayanganj District Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Dumfries and Galloway People from Eastbourne