Casts new light on the remarkable life story of a literary legend. Considered the first modern children’s author, Nesbit published over 40 captivating books throughout her lifetime, combining real-world adventure with fantasy. She influenced writers such as C.S. Lewis, P. L. Travers, and J.K. Rowling. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and remain popular today.
Nesbit’s nomadic childhood and vivid imagination conjured up phobias that lasted into adulthood and she wrote stories to overcome her nightmares with characters inspired by family, friends, and events from her life.
As an adult, she hosted legendary parties and was considered playful, contradictory and creative, described by George Bernard Shaw
one of several lovers
as ‘audaciously unconventional’. Drawing from Nesbit’s letters and deep archival research, Eleanor Fitzsimons describes her as a prolific lecturer and writer on socialism as well as a founding member of the Fabian Society. Nesbit railed against inequity, social injustice and state-sponsored oppression and incorporated her avant-garde ideas into her writing, influencing a generation of children
an aspect of her literary legacy examined here for the first time.
Fitzsimons’ eye-opening biography brings new light to the life and works of this famed literary icon, in whom pragmatism and idealism, tradition and modernity worked side-by-side to create a remarkable writer and woman. AUTHOR: Eleanor Fitzsimons is a researcher, writer, journalist and broadcaster specialising in historical and current feminist issues. Her work has been published in a range of newspapers and journals including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and The Irish Times and she is a regular radio and television contributor.