By Nava Atlas | On March 18, 2015 | Updated September 21, 2026 | Comments (0)
Enid Bagnold (October 27, 1889 – March 31, 1981) was a British novelist and playwright. Though now best known as the author of the classic 1935 children’s novel National Velvet, she wrote about a variety of subjects in a number of genres.
The daughter of an army officer, Bagnold was born in Rochester, England and spent her early years in Jamaica, after which she was educated in England and France. She attended art school, studying with some notable artists.
Though National Velvet (1935) and possibly The Chalk Garden might ring some familiar bells, a 2008 article (in conjunction with a stage revival of the latter) by Sarah Crompton states that “… her name is almost forgotten … the rest of a rackety, riveting life and career has fallen down the cracks of literary history.”
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By Taylor Jasmine | On May 28, 2022 | Updated August 21, 2022 | Comments (0)
My Friend Flicka, the 1941 novel by Mary O’Hara, is this author’s most enduring work. The ranch living and rugged Wyoming landscape of her personal experience inspired the novel.
A classic that’s for “children of all ages,” My Friend Flicka is the story of Ken McLaughlin, a rancher’s son, and his untamed horse.
Ken’s father, a practical Scotsman, had no patience for his son’s dreaminess, so out of place in the harsh realities of the family’s horse-breeding farm. Ken becomes smitten with a wild colt, who he names Flicka, meaning “little filly.” Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On March 3, 2022 | Updated October 8, 2025 | Comments (2)
After reading a memoir of high-risk pregnancy by a friend (more about that ahead), I got to thinking about the prevalence of pregnancy in classic novels by women authors as a central theme.
Of course, there are many instances of female characters in novels (both by male and female authors) bearing a child or miscarrying, but pregnancy itself is rarely more than quickly touched upon.
Birth control methods were unreliable until relatively recently in human development; yet novels centering on pregnancy, other than the seduction and abandonment trope, aren’t all that common. Her First Time: Seduction and Loss of Innocence in 1920s Women’s Novels presents several classic titles in which the heroine becomes pregnant (usually outside of marriage), with various outcomes. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On July 26, 2020 | Updated December 18, 2022 | Comments (2)
It’s fun and fascinating to watch film adaptations of classic children’s novels. Does the cast of characters match how you imagined them while reading? Is the film true to the book, or does it depart too much?
It’s a good idea to read a book first before seeing a film adaptation. That way, the cinematic visuals and actors don’t interfere with your imagination. Who can ever read the Harry Potter books again without picturing Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and the rest of the actors in the film series?
Film and television adaptations can be helpful for kids who aren’t big on reading. In those cases, having them watch the movie first might be a way to get them more excited about reading the book it’s based on. Then, comparing the film and written versions might spark lively discussions. Read More→
By Nava Atlas | On February 27, 2020 | Updated August 23, 2026 | Comments (0)
Following is a listing (alphabetically, by last name) of classic women authors’ biographies currently on this site. Please note that this site lists only women authors who are deceased. These are the women authors whose shoulders today’s writers stand on, and whose work should continue to be read and studied.
We’re continually adding authors to the site; you’ll find many more we haven’t yet posted. They’re on our wish list, which also details writer’s guidelines for those who may want to contribute biographies, or any other great content relating to classic women authors. Read More→
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