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Elinor Brent-Dyer

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Elinor M. Brent-Dyer (6 April 1894 – 20 September 1969) was an English writer of children's literature who wrote more than one hundred books during her lifetime, the most famous being the Chalet School series.[1]

Elinor Brent-Dyer
BornGladys Eleanor May Dyer
(1894-04-06)6 April 1894 England
Died20 September 1969(1969-09-20) (aged 75)
OccupationNovelist
Period1922–1969
GenreAdventure, School stories

Early life and education

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Brent-Dyer was born Gladys Eleanor May Dyer on 6 April 1894 in South Shields.[2] She was the only daughter of Charles Morris Brent Dyer, a surveyor, and Eleanor Watson Rutherford.[1] Her father left the family when she was three years old and her mother remarried in 1913.[2] In 1912, her younger brother Henzell died of meningitis.[2]

Brent-Dyer was educated privately at a small school in South Shields until 1912 and shortly afterward trained to teach at City of Leeds Training College.[1] She taught a variety of subjects at both state and private schools and ran a Girl Guide group.[1] In the 1920s, she briefly studied music under Edgar Bainton at the Newcastle Conservatoire.[1]

Career

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Brent-Dyer's first book, Gerry Goes to School, was published in 1922 and became the first of the La Rochelle series.

She was inspired to start the Chalet School series after holidaying in the Austrian Tyrol at Pertisau-am-Achensee.[2] The first book in the series, The School at the Chalet, was published in 1925.

Although she was raised as an Anglican, she converted to Roman Catholicism in 1930.[1]

In 1933, Brent-Dyer and her mother moved to Hereford, where Brent-Dyer was employed as a governess in Peterchurch.[2][1] In 1938, she opened her own school, the Margaret Roper School, which closed in 1948. She then dedicated all of her time to writing.[2]

Brent-Dyer's mother died in 1957. In 1964, her long-time friend Phyllis Matthewman persuaded her to leave the unmanageably large Victorian villa at which she had previously run her school to live with Phyllis and her literary agent husband, Sydney. After first living together as tenants in half of a house called Albury Edge, at Redhill, Surrey, they bought a house together, Gryphons, also at Redhill, in 1965.[3] Phyllis's aunt, who knew the Dyer family, had introduced them to one another in childhood. Sydney Matthewman served as Brent-Dyer's agent.[4][5][6][7][8] Brent-Dyer died at Redhill in 1969 and her final book was published posthumously the following year.[1]

Bibliography

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Chalet School series

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Main article: Chalet School

(in reading order)

  1. The School at the Chalet
  2. Jo of the Chalet School
  3. The Princess of the Chalet School
  4. The Head-Girl of the Chalet School
  5. The Rivals of the Chalet School
  6. Eustacia Goes to the Chalet School
  7. The Chalet School and Jo
  8. The Chalet Girls in Camp
  9. The Exploits of the Chalet Girls
  10. The Chalet School and the Lintons
  11. The New House at the Chalet School
  12. Jo Returns to the Chalet School
  13. The New Chalet School
  14. The Chalet School in Exile
  15. The Chalet School Goes to It
  16. Highland Twins at the Chalet School
  17. Lavender Laughs in the Chalet School
  18. Gay From China at the Chalet School
  19. Jo to the Rescue
    a Mystery at the Chalet School
    b Tom Tackles the Chalet School
    c The Chalet School and Rosalie
  20. Three Go to the Chalet School
  21. The Chalet School and the Island
  22. Peggy of the Chalet School
  23. Carola Storms the Chalet School
  24. The Wrong Chalet School
  25. Shocks for the Chalet School
  26. The Chalet School in the Oberland
  27. Bride Leads the Chalet School
  28. Changes for the Chalet School
  29. Joey Goes to the Oberland
  30. The Chalet School and Barbara
  31. The Chalet School Does it Again
  32. A Chalet Girl from Kenya
  33. Mary-Lou of the Chalet School
  34. A Genius at the Chalet School
  35. A Problem for the Chalet School
  36. The New Mistress at the Chalet School
  37. Excitements at the Chalet School
  38. The Coming of Age of the Chalet School
  39. The Chalet School and Richenda
  40. Trials for the Chalet School
  41. Theodora and the Chalet School
  42. Joey and Co. in Tirol
  43. Ruey Richardson – Chaletian
  44. A Leader in the Chalet School
  45. The Chalet School Wins the Trick
  46. A Future Chalet School Girl
  47. The Feud in the Chalet School
  48. The Chalet School Triplets
  49. The Chalet School Reunion
  50. Jane and the Chalet School
  51. Redheads at the Chalet School
  52. Adrienne and the Chalet School
  53. Summer Term at the Chalet School
  54. Challenge for the Chalet School
  55. Two Sams at the Chalet School
  56. Althea Joins the Chalet School
  57. Prefects of the Chalet School

La Rochelle series

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  • Gerry Goes to School (1922)
  • A Head Girl's Difficulties (1923)
  • The Maids of La Rochelle
  • Seven Scamps
  • Heather Leaves School
  • Janie of La Rochelle
  • Janie Steps In

Chudleigh Hold series

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A loosely connected series of adventure books

  • Chudleigh Hold
  • The Condor Crags Adventure
  • Top Secret
  • Fardingales
  • The Susannah Adventure

Other works

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  • A Thrilling Term at Janeways
  • Caroline the Second
  • The School by the River (1930)
  • The New House-Mistress
  • Judy, the Guide
  • The Feud in the Fifth Remove
  • Carnation of the Upper Fourth
  • They Both Liked Dogs
  • The School by the River
  • The Little Marie-Jose
  • Elizabeth the Gallant
  • The Little Missus
  • Lorna at Wynyards
  • Stepsisters for Lorna
  • Kennelmaid Nan
  • Nesta Steps Out
  • Beechy of the Harbour School
  • A Leader in Spite of Herself
  • The School at Skelton Hall
  • Trouble at Skelton Hall
  • Bess on Her Own in Canada
  • A Quintette in Queensland
  • Sharlie's Kenya Diary
  • Verena Visits New Zealand
  • Jean of Storms (novel for adults, originally published in the Shields Gazette in 1930)
  • The Lost Staircase
  • Monica Turns Up Trumps

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h McClelland, Helen (6 January 2011). "Dyer, Elinor Mary Brent- (1894–1969), children's writer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Elinor Brent-Dyer (1894-1969)". Literary Heritage West Midlands. Shropshire County Council. 28 October 2002. Archived from the original on 24 November 2005. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  3. ^ "House histories".
  4. ^ The Encyclopaedia of School Stories: The encyclopaedia of girls' school stories, Rosemary Auchmuty, Joy Wotton, Ashgate, 2000, p. 223-4
  5. ^ "Phyllis Matthewman".
  6. ^ "New Chalet Club - the Author".
  7. ^ "7: I. Reviews & Criticism 1906-1945".
  8. ^ "The children's collections at the University of Reading" (PDF). University of Reading.
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