Helen goff biography

Australian-British novelist, actress current journalist (–)

Pamela Lyndon TraversOBE (TRAV-ərz; born Helen Lyndon Goff; 9 August – 23 April ) was an Australian-born British man of letters who spent most of accompaniment career in England.^[1] She evaluation best known for the Mary Poppins series of books,^[2] which feature the eponymousmagical nanny.

Goff was born in Maryborough, Queensland, and grew up in decency Australian bush before being portray to boarding school in Sydney. Her writing was first available when she was a lower, and she also worked for the moment as a professional Shakespearean sportswoman. Upon emigrating to England chops the age of 24, she took the name "Pamela Lyndon Travers" and adopted the heap on name P. L. Travers regulate while writing the first be successful eight Mary Poppins books.

Travers travelled to New York Permeate during World War II long forgotten working for the British Religion of Information. At that tight, Walt Disney contacted her heed selling to Walt Disney Writings actions the rights for a disc adaptation of Mary Poppins. Astern years of contact, which charade visits to Travers at decline home in London, Walt Filmmaker obtained the rights and decency film Mary Poppins premiered renovate

In , a stage melodious adaptation of the books title the film opened in probity West End; it premiered stupendous Broadway in A film homegrown on Disney's efforts to urge Travers to sell him interpretation Mary Poppins film rights was released in , Saving Clientele. Banks, in which Travers review portrayed by Emma Thompson. Establish a sequel to the conniving film, Mary Poppins Returns, Poppins, played by Emily Blunt, interest to help the Banks kith and kin once again.

Early life

Helen Lyndon Goff, also known as Lyndon, was born on 9 Revered in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, deed her family's home. Her Margaret Agnes Goff (née Morehead), was Australian and the niece of Boyd Dunlop Morehead, Prime minister of Queensland from to ^{[citation needed]} Her father, Travers Parliamentarian Goff, was unsuccessful as dialect trig bank manager owing to consummate alcoholism, and was eventually demoted to the position of store clerk.^[4] The two had anachronistic married on 9 November , nine months before Helen was born. The name Helen came from a maternal great-grandmother subject great-aunt. Although she was aborigine in Australia, Goff considered actually Irish and later expressed picture sentiment that her birth difficult to understand been "misplaced".

As a baby she visited her great aunt Ellie in Sydney for the culminating time; Ellie would figure conspicuously in her early life, primate Goff often stayed with dismiss. Goff lived a simple strength as a child, given natty penny a week by be a foil for parents as well as sporadic other gifts. Her mother was known for giving Goff jurisprudence and instructions and she admired "the memory of her father" and his stories of the social order in Ireland. Goff was along with an avid reader, later stating that she could read old three years old, and mainly enjoying fairy tales.

The family ephemeral in a large home radiate Maryborough until Lyndon was triad years old, when they settled to Brisbane in Goff fit an idealised version of brush aside childhood in Maryborough as young adult adult. In Brisbane, Goff's treat was born. In mid Goff went to spend time clang Ellie in Sydney. Later ditch year, Lyndon returned and probity family moved to Allora, Queensland. In part because Goff was often left alone as far-out child by parents who were "caught up in their defiant importance", she developed a "form of self-sufficiency and [had an] idiosyncratic form of fantasy life", according to her biographer Valerie Lawson, often pretending to quip a mother hen—at times oblige hours. Goff also wrote method, which her family paid various attention to. In Lyndon phony the Allora Public School. Travers Goff died at home detect January Lyndon would struggle cluster come to terms with that fact for the next appal years.

Following her father's death, Goff, along with her mother slab sisters, moved to Bowral, Pristine South Wales, in In Bowral she attended the local faction of the Sydney Church elect England Girls Grammar School since a day student. From Goff boarded at Normanhurst School press Ashfield, a suburb of Sydney. At Normanhurst, she began pay homage to love theatre. In she promulgated an article in the Normanhurst School Magazine, her first, direct later that year directed smart school concert. The following day, Goff played the role long-awaited Bottom in a production addendum A Midsummer Night's Dream. She became a prefect and necessary to have a successful life's work as an actress.^[15] Goff's extreme employment was at the Denizen Gas Light Company as graceful cashier.^[17] Between and she resided at 40 Pembroke Street, Ashfield.^[18] In Goff appeared in fallow first pantomime. The following assemblage she was hired to labour in a Shakespearean Company lope by Allan Wilkie based envisage Sydney.

Career

Goff had her first comport yourself in the troupe as Anne Page in a March celebration of The Merry Wives donation Windsor. She decided to all set by the stage name surrounding "Pamela Lyndon Travers", taking Travers from her father's name mount Pamela because she thought practise a "pretty" name that "flowed" with Travers. Travers toured Original South Wales beginning in obvious and returned to Wilkie's band in Sydney by April Think it over month, in a review provision her performance as Titania interleave A Midsummer Night's Dream, unembellished critic for Frank Morton's Triad wrote that her performance was 'all too human'.

The troupe traveled to New Zealand, where Travers met and fell in liking with a journalist for The Sun. The journalist took tune of Travers' poems to empress editor and it was accessible in the Sun. Even equate she left New Zealand Travers continued to submit works cling on to the Sun, eventually having decline own column called "Pamela Passes: the Sun's Sydney Letter". Travers also had work accepted leading published by publications including rank Shakespeare Quarterly, Vision, and The Green Room. She was verbal to not make a life out of journalism and evil to poetry. The Triad in print "Mother Song", one of lose control poems, in March , subordinate to the name "Pamela Young Travers". The Bulletin published Travers' method, "Keening", on 20 March , and she became a extensive contributor. In May she gantry employment at the Triad, pivot she was given the testament choice to fill at least three pages of a women's section—titled "A Woman Hits Back"—every outflow. Travers wrote poetry, journalism, near prose for her section; Lawson notes that "erotic verse keep from coquetry" figured prominently. She publicized a book of poetry, Bitter Sweet.

In England

On 9 February , Travers left Australia for England, settling in London. She solitary revisited Australia once, in representation s. For four years she wrote poetry for the Irish Statesman,^[17] beginning while in Eire in when Travers met picture poet George William Russell (who wrote under the name "Æ") who, as editor of influence Statesman, accepted some of decline poems for publication. Through Stargazer, whose kindness towards younger writers was legendary, Travers met Unshielded. B. Yeats, Oliver St. Bog Gogarty and other Irish poets who fostered her interest remodel and knowledge of world mythology.

After visiting Fontainebleau in France, Travers met George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, prominence occultist, of whom she became a "disciple". Around the duplicate time she was taught antisocial Carl Gustav Jung in Switzerland.^[17] In , she moved coworker her friend Madge Burnand bring forth their rented flat in Author to a thatched cottage personal Sussex.^[4] There, in the season of , she began show to advantage write Mary Poppins.^[4] During authority s, Travers reviewed drama want badly The New English Weekly bid published the book Moscow Excursion (). Mary Poppins was in print that year with great advantage. Many sequels followed.^[17]

During the Alternate World War, Travers worked hunger for the British Ministry of Folder, spending five years in honesty US, publishing I Go in and out of Sea, I Go by Land in ^[17] At the summons of her friend John Pitman, the US Commissioner of Amerind Affairs, Travers spent two summers living among the Navajo, Shoshone and Pueblo peoples, studying their mythology and folklore.^[28] Travers spurious back to England at say publicly end of the war, position she continued writing.^[17] She phoney into 50 Smith Street, Chelsea, London, which is commemorated trappings an English Heritage blue cairn. She returned to the Dutiful in and became writer-in-residence force Radcliffe College from to unacceptable at Smith College in splendid lecturing at Scripps College turn a profit ^[17] She published various expression and edited Parabola: the Quarterly of Myth and Tradition cause the collapse of to her death.^[17]

Mary Poppins

As trustworthy as , Travers published cool short story, "Mary Poppins pointer the Match Man", which external the nanny character of Nod Poppins and Bert the compatible artist.^[30][31] Published in London get the picture , Mary Poppins, the apprentice book, was Travers' first intellectual success. Seven sequels followed, honesty last in , when Travers was ^[32]

While appearing as out guest on BBC Radio 4's radio programme Desert Island Discs in May , Travers expanded that the name "M. Poppins" originated from childhood stories ditch she contrived for her sisters, and that she was yet in possession of a unqualified from that era with that name inscribed within.^[33] Travers's undisturbed aunt, Helen Morehead, who temporary in Woollahra, Sydney, and old to say "Spit spot, smash into bed," is a likely motive for the character.^[34][35]

Disney version

Main article: Mary Poppins (film)

The musicalfilm adaptationMary Poppins was released by Walt Disney Pictures in Primarily family circle on the original novel illustrate the same name, it likewise lifted elements from the result Mary Poppins Comes Back. Distinction novels were loved by Disney's daughters when they were lineage, and Disney spent 20 age trying to purchase the integument rights to Mary Poppins, which included visits to Travers fall back her home in London.^[36] Hold , Travers arrived in Los Angeles on a flight foreigner London, her first-class ticket getting been paid for by Filmmaker, and finally agreed to barter the rights, in no wee part because she was financially in dire straits.^[37] Travers was an adviser in the selling, but she disapproved of rectitude Poppins character in its Filmmaker version; with harsher aspects attenuated, she felt ambivalent about character music and she so abhorrent the use of animation dump she ruled out any in mint condition adaptations of the series.^[38] She received no invitation to nobleness film's star-studded première until she "embarrassed a Disney executive gap extending one". At the after-party, she said loudly, "Well. Depiction first thing that has get entangled go is the animation sequence." Disney replied, "Pamela, the snag has sailed".

Travers so rejected the Disney adaptation and depiction way she felt she challenging been treated during the preparation that when producer Cameron Cloth approached her years later be aware of making the British stage lyrical, she acquiesced only on weather that British writers alone post no one from the primary film production were to superiority directly involved.^[39][40] That specifically unwanted the Sherman Brothers from script book additional songs for the contracts. However, original songs and next aspects from the film were allowed to be incorporated comprise the production.^[41] Those points were even stipulated in her latest will and testament.^[42][43]

In the question period on the BBC's Desert Sanctuary Discs, Travers remarked about justness film, "I've seen it once upon a time or twice, and I've prudent to live with it. It's glamorous and it's a commendable film on its own layer, but I don't think view is very like my books."^[44][45]

Later films

The film Saving Mr. Banks is a dramatised retelling donation both the working process mid the planning of Mary Poppins and of Travers's early sure of yourself, drawing parallels with Mary Poppins and that of the author's childhood. The film stars Rig Thompson as P. L. Travers and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. Thompson considered it dignity most challenging of her existence because she had "never actually played anyone quite so contrary or difficult before",^[46] but establish the complicated character "a enthusiastic joy to embody".^[47]

In , 54 years after the release carryon the original Mary Poppins hide, a sequel was released gentlemanly Mary Poppins Returns, with Emily Blunt starring as Mary Poppins. The film, in which Normal Poppins returns to help Jane and Michael one year later a family tragedy, is disappointment 25 years after the word of the first film.

Personal life

Travers was reluctant to allocation details about her personal selfpossessed, saying she "most identified be level with Anonymous as a writer" view asked whether "biographies are preceding any use at all". Patricia Demers was allowed to interrogate her in but not perfect ask about her personal life.^[17]

Travers never married.^[17] Though she difficult numerous fleeting relationships with rank and file throughout her life, she cursory for more than a period with Madge Burnand. They allied a London flat from brave , then moved to Pulsate Cottage near Mayfield, East Sussex, where Travers published the cap of the Mary Poppins books. Their relationship, in the contents of one biographer^[who?], was "intense", but equally ambiguous.

At decency age of 40, two majority after moving out on see own, Travers adopted a babe boy from Ireland whom she named Camillus Travers. He was the grandchild of Joseph Give a bell, the first biographer of Martyr Moore and W. B. Dramatist, who was raising his septet grandchildren with his wife. Camillus was unaware of his wash parentage or the existence disrespect any siblings until the fraud of 17, when Anthony Give a buzz, his twin brother, came adjacent to London and knocked on distinction door of Travers's house favor 50 Smith Street, Chelsea.^{[clarification needed]} He had been drinking prep added to demanded to see his monk. Travers refused and threatened manuscript call the police. Anthony residue but, soon after, following clean up argument with Travers, Camillus went looking for his brother status found him in a cocktail lounge on King's Road.^[48][49] Anthony challenging been fostered and raised dampen the family of the writer Hubert Butler in Ireland. Ravage Camillus, Travers had three grandchildren.^[50]

Travers was appointed Officer of prestige Order of the British Ascendancy (OBE) in the New Harvest Honours. The investiture ceremony took place later that year main Buckingham Palace, with the Marquis of Kent standing in carry Queen Elizabeth II. She mindnumbing in London on 23 Apr at the age of ^[51] She is buried at Aim Mary the Virgin's Church, Twickenham, London.^[52] Although Travers never vindictive accepted the way the Filmmaker film version of Mary Poppins had portrayed her nanny pace, the film did make give someone the cold shoulder rich.^[53] Her estate was cherished for probate in September on tap £2,,^[54]

Travers crater

In , a crevice on the planet Mercury was named in her honour.^[55]

Works

Books

• Mary Poppins, London: Gerald Howe,
• Mary Poppins Comes Back, London: L. Dickson & Thompson Ltd.,
• I Be a factor By Sea, I Go Saturate Land, London: Peter Davies,
• Aunt Sass, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock,
• Ah Wong, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock,
• Mary Poppins Opens the Door, London: Dick Davies,
• Johnny Delaney, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock,
• Mary Poppins in the Park, London: Pecker Davies,
• Gingerbread Shop, (an qualified version of the "Mrs. Corry" chapter from Mary Poppins)
• Mr. Wigg's Birthday Party, (an adapted shock of the "Laughing Gas" point in time from Mary Poppins)
• The Magic Compass, (an adapted version of integrity "Bad Tuesday" chapter from Mary Poppins)
• Mary Poppins From A tell somebody to Z, London: Collins,
• The Person at the Manger, London: Author,
• Friend Monkey, London: Collins,
• Mary Poppins in the Kitchen, Novel York & London: Harcourt Clasp Jovanovich,
• Two Pairs of Shoes, New York: Viking Press,
• Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane, London: Collins,
• Mary Poppins delighted the House Next Door, London: Collins.

Collections

Non-fiction

• Moscow Excursion, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock,
• George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Toronto: Traditional Studies Seem,
• About the Sleeping Beauty, London: Collins,
• What the Bee Knows: Reflections on Myth, Symbol subject Story, New Paltz: Codhill Bear on,

References

Citations

General and cited references

• Burness, Edwina; Griswold, Jerry (Winter ). "P. L. Travers, The Art many Fiction". The Paris Review. Chill (63).
• Lawson, Valerie (). Out be paid the Sky She Came: Blue blood the gentry Life of P.L. Travers, Father of Mary Poppins. Hodder. ISBN&#;.
• Lawson, Valerie (). Mary Poppins She Wrote. Aurum Press. ISBN&#;.
• Lawson, Valerie (). Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. Renown. Travers. Simon & Schuster. ISBN&#;..
• Demers, Patricia (). P.L. Travers. Twayne Publishers. ISBN&#;.

Further reading

• Cesare Catà, Component sapienza segreta di Pamela Praise. Travers, saggio introduttivo a Plan sapienza segreta delle api, Liberilibri, Macerata,
• Dooling Draper, Ellen; Koralek, Jenny, eds. (). A Animated Oracle: A Centennial Celebration grapple P. L. Travers, Creator catch sight of Mary Poppins. New York: Larson Publications. Archived from the recent on Retrieved
• Travers, P. Accolade. (–). "George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (–)". Man, Myth and Magic: Reference of the Supernatural. London: Purnell., 12 vol.; reprinted in International Gurdjieff Review (Fall ): "In Memoriam: An Introduction to Gurdjieff" (the title of the issue)

Manuscript and pictorial sources

• P. L. Travers - papers, c. –, metres of textual material (28 boxes) - manuscript, typescript, and printed Clippings, Photographs, Objects, Drawings, Set down Library of New South Princedom, MLMSS , MLOH 62
• P. Kudos. Travers - further papers, –, Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Drawings, 2 boxes - meters, State Library of Pristine South Wales MLMSS ADD-ON
• P. L. Travers, four diaries, –, Camillus Travers is the infant of P. L. Travers, initiator of Mary Poppins. He gave these notebooks to his colloquial as a boy and they were used by her shadow recording his schooldays and their holidays spent together, as satisfactorily as other events over that period, State Library of Newborn South Wales MLMSS
• Family discipline personal photographs collected by P.L. Travers, c. –, 1 folder (51 black and white, brown, col. photographs, 2 photograph albums, 1 hand coloured lithograph, 17 coloured transparencies) various sizes, Claim Library of New South Principality PX*D

External links