Eleanor Farjeon

Eleanor Farjeon was born on February 13, 1881, in London, England, and died on June 5, 1965, in Hampstead, London. She was a distinguished English writer for children, renowned for her magical yet unsentimental stories that often satirized adult behavior, earning her a cherished place in British nurseries.

Farjeon grew up in a literary and artistic family: her father was a British novelist, and her grandfather was a U.S. actor. She was immersed in cultural life from a young age, attending opera and theatre performances at four and composing on her father’s typewriter by seven. She achieved early public recognition at sixteen as the librettist of an opera composed by her brother Harry, which was produced by the Royal Academy of Music.

Her literary success began with Nursery Rhymes of London Town (1916), a collection of simple tunes originally written for adults but widely adapted for children in schools throughout England. She continued to produce beloved works, including Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard (1921) and The Little Bookroom (1955), which won both the Carnegie Medal and the inaugural Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Farjeon was also a prolific author of educational books for children, such as Kings and Queens (1932, co-authored with Herbert Farjeon), as well as adult literature and memoirs, including A Nursery in the Nineties (1935, revised 1960). Her writing combined imaginative storytelling with clarity and charm, leaving a lasting legacy in both children’s literature and literary education.