Irene Byers (born 1906 or 1907)[1] was an English novelist, poet and children's writer who wrote around forty books mostly published in the 1950s and 1960s.
In her early career Byers worked as a freelance journalist specialising in interviews with famous people such as John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike.[2] Byers gave up her career on marriage, around 1930, to Cyril Byers,[2] but took up writing again after her children were at school. She also wrote poems for her children during the war.
She was a regular contributor to the BBC's Woman's Hour and two of her books were serialised on Children's Hour. She also became an active member of the Croydon Writers' Circle. The circle provided support for her writing which was important as praise from her husband was rare.[2]
WorksEdit
Many of Byers' works were written for children, including books on nature study. The Tablet reviewed Byers' 1953 "The Young Brevingtons" in Books of the Week as:
"...a very good adventure story indeed, and with an unusual theme. The Brevingtons, an essentially country family, are transplanted at short notice to a slum neighbourhood where they join their mother in a rent-free house, but their surroundings are the greatest shock to them, and so are the children who live there... The children are real, and so are the problems, and intelligent young readers will enjoy a story which for once deals with facts and not only with adventures for wishful-thinkers."
Her 1954 book Tim of Tamberly Forest was broadcast as "a serial play in four episodes"[3] on BBC radio Children's Hour in 1955. The original novel was reviewed by The Spectator as:
"...the story of a boy who runs away from being sent to sea. Trees are his passion, and he eventually achieves his ambition to work in a forest. We follow him learning his job from the monotonous hoeing of seedlings to the sudden excitement of a forest fire. A rather trite storyteller's tone of voice and some ordinary characters (a gang of toughs, a poor lonely rich girl, an artist living in a caravan) do not take all the shine from a book that is full of the fascination of growing things, and of a particular vocation minutely, enthusiastically explored."
Foresters of Fourways, illus. Barry Gurbutt (1963)
Joanna joins the Zoo, illus. Jillian Willett (1964)
Trouble at Tamberly (1964)
The Merediths of Mappins, illus. Victor Ambrus (1964); US edition: The Mystery at Mappins, illus. Victor Ambrus (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1964)
Magic in her Fingers, illus. Jillian Willett (1965)
Half-day Thursday (1966)
Foresters afield, illus. Michael Whittlesea (1966)
Tiptoes and the big race, illus. Lynette Hemmant (1979)
Fox on the pavement, illus. Gabrielle Stoddart (1984)
Rhymes and reveries (1989)
Rhymes and remembrances (c1990)
TranslationsEdit
Irene Byers' books have been translated into several languages, among them Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.
Het geheim van de boerderij, transl. by A. M. van Steyn-Dingjan of Adventure at Fairborough's Farm. Utrecht [etc.]: Het Spectrum, 1957
Penny zoekt de dader, transl. by J. Meyknecht-Grossouw. Helmond: Helmond, c. 1958
De gevaarlijke bloem uit het oerwoud, transl. by Evelien van Amstel of Jewel of the Jungle. Utrecht [etc.]: Het Spectrum, 1958
Bloemen voor Melissa, transl. by J. Meyknecht-Grossouw of Flowers for Melissa. Helmond: Helmond, 1960
De rit in de nacht, transl. by E. La Haye of The Strange Story of Pippin Wood, illus. by Mary Shillabeer. Utrecht [etc.]: Het Spectrum, 1961
Avontuur op een woonboot, transl. by A. M. van Steyn-Dingjan of The Adventure of the Floating Flat. Haarlem: De Spaarnestad; Antwerpen: Tijdschriften Uitgevers Mij, 1964
Silka, der Seehund, transl. by Christa Laufs of Silka the Seal, illus. by Franz Josef Tripp. Stuttgart: Herold Verlag, 1969
Jenny und lauter Tiere: Ein Mädchen im Zoo, transl. by Gisela Sieber of Joanna Joins the Zoo. Stuttgart: Herold Verlag, 1967
Il ciondolo rapito Turin: SAIE, 1959
Três diabretes, transl. by Fernanda Pinto Rodrigues, illus. by Victor Ambrus. Lisbon: Editorial Minerva, 1967
Kennelflickan, transl. by Gunvor Håkansson of Kennel Maid Sally. Stockholm: Lindqvist, 1962
Familjen på Mappins, transl. by Gunvor Håkansson. Stockholm: Lindqvist, 1965
Juvelkuppen, transl. by Gunvor Håkansson of Two on the Trail. Stockholm: B. Wahlström, 1973
NotesEdit
^The Writers Directory, 1980-82, p. 184. This tallies with the year given in the National Thesaurus for Author Names (The Netherlands). UK records show that in 1932 a Cyril Byers wed an Amy Irene Cookson (born in London in 1907) in London.
^ abcTo Exercise Our Talents: The Democratization of Writing in Britain, Christopher Hilliard, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (2009), ISBN0 674 02177 0.
irene, byers, born, 1906, 1907, english, novelist, poet, children, writer, wrote, around, forty, books, mostly, published, 1950s, 1960s, occupationnovelistnationalitybritish, contents, life, works, bibliography, translations, notes, external, linkslife, editin. Irene Byers born 1906 or 1907 1 was an English novelist poet and children s writer who wrote around forty books mostly published in the 1950s and 1960s Irene ByersOccupationNovelistNationalityBritish Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 Bibliography 4 Translations 5 Notes 6 External linksLife EditIn her early career Byers worked as a freelance journalist specialising in interviews with famous people such as John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike 2 Byers gave up her career on marriage around 1930 to Cyril Byers 2 but took up writing again after her children were at school She also wrote poems for her children during the war She was a regular contributor to the BBC s Woman s Hour and two of her books were serialised on Children s Hour She also became an active member of the Croydon Writers Circle The circle provided support for her writing which was important as praise from her husband was rare 2 Works EditMany of Byers works were written for children including books on nature study The Tablet reviewed Byers 1953 The Young Brevingtons in Books of the Week as a very good adventure story indeed and with an unusual theme The Brevingtons an essentially country family are transplanted at short notice to a slum neighbourhood where they join their mother in a rent free house but their surroundings are the greatest shock to them and so are the children who live there The children are real and so are the problems and intelligent young readers will enjoy a story which for once deals with facts and not only with adventures for wishful thinkers The Tablet http archive thetablet co uk article 2nd may 1953 12 books of the week Her 1954 book Tim of Tamberly Forest was broadcast as a serial play in four episodes 3 on BBC radio Children s Hour in 1955 The original novel was reviewed by The Spectator as the story of a boy who runs away from being sent to sea Trees are his passion and he eventually achieves his ambition to work in a forest We follow him learning his job from the monotonous hoeing of seedlings to the sudden excitement of a forest fire A rather trite storyteller s tone of voice and some ordinary characters a gang of toughs a poor lonely rich girl an artist living in a caravan do not take all the shine from a book that is full of the fascination of growing things and of a particular vocation minutely enthusiastically explored The Spectator 4 Her book Jewel of the Jungle was broadcast on Children s Hour in July 1956 5 Bibliography EditThe Circus and other verses for children illus Donald Craig 1946 Our Outdoor Friends 1949 1952 Mystery at Barber s Reach illus A E Batchelor 1950 The Adventures of the Floating Flat illus Robert Johnston 1952 The First etc Book of Our Outdoor Friends illus Constance Marshall 1952 The Young Brevingtons 1953 Tim of Tamberly Forest 1954 Out and about Tales illus Paxton Chadwick 1954 The Mystery of Midway Mill 1955 Catherine of Connors 1955 Adventure at Fairborough s Farm 1955 Adventure at Dillington Dene 1956 The Strange Story of Pippin Wood illus Mary Shillabeer 1956 The Sign of the Dolphin 1956 The Missing Masterpiece 1957 Jewel of the Jungle 1957 Adventure at the Blue Cockatoo 1958 Flowers for Melissa 1958 Kennel Maid Sally 1960 The Adventure road to reading etc 1961 Farm on the Fjord 1961 Tim returns to Tamberly 1962 Silka the Seal illus George Adamson 1962 Two on the Trail illus Joseph Acheson 1963 Foresters of Fourways illus Barry Gurbutt 1963 Joanna joins the Zoo illus Jillian Willett 1964 Trouble at Tamberly 1964 The Merediths of Mappins illus Victor Ambrus 1964 US edition The Mystery at Mappins illus Victor Ambrus New York Charles Scribner s Sons 1964 Magic in her Fingers illus Jillian Willett 1965 Half day Thursday 1966 Foresters afield illus Michael Whittlesea 1966 Danny finds a family illus Sheila Bewley 1966 The House of the Speckled Browns illus Victor Ambrus 1967 ISBN 978 0 7011 0383 5 OCLC 18593535 The stage under the cedars illus Michael Charlton 1969 Cameras on Carolyn illus Michael Charlton 1971 Timothy and Tiptoes illus Lynette Hemmant 1974 Tiptoes wins through illus Lynette Hemmant 1976 Tiptoes and the big race illus Lynette Hemmant 1979 Fox on the pavement illus Gabrielle Stoddart 1984 Rhymes and reveries 1989 Rhymes and remembrances c1990 Translations EditIrene Byers books have been translated into several languages among them Dutch German Italian Portuguese and Swedish Het geheim van de boerderij transl by A M van Steyn Dingjan of Adventure at Fairborough s Farm Utrecht etc Het Spectrum 1957 Penny zoekt de dader transl by J Meyknecht Grossouw Helmond Helmond c 1958 De gevaarlijke bloem uit het oerwoud transl by Evelien van Amstel of Jewel of the Jungle Utrecht etc Het Spectrum 1958 Bloemen voor Melissa transl by J Meyknecht Grossouw of Flowers for Melissa Helmond Helmond 1960 De rit in de nacht transl by E La Haye of The Strange Story of Pippin Wood illus by Mary Shillabeer Utrecht etc Het Spectrum 1961 Avontuur op een woonboot transl by A M van Steyn Dingjan of The Adventure of the Floating Flat Haarlem De Spaarnestad Antwerpen Tijdschriften Uitgevers Mij 1964 Silka der Seehund transl by Christa Laufs of Silka the Seal illus by Franz Josef Tripp Stuttgart Herold Verlag 1969 Jenny und lauter Tiere Ein Madchen im Zoo transl by Gisela Sieber of Joanna Joins the Zoo Stuttgart Herold Verlag 1967 Il ciondolo rapito Turin SAIE 1959 Tres diabretes transl by Fernanda Pinto Rodrigues illus by Victor Ambrus Lisbon Editorial Minerva 1967 Kennelflickan transl by Gunvor Hakansson of Kennel Maid Sally Stockholm Lindqvist 1962 Familjen pa Mappins transl by Gunvor Hakansson Stockholm Lindqvist 1965 Juvelkuppen transl by Gunvor Hakansson of Two on the Trail Stockholm B Wahlstrom 1973Notes Edit The Writers Directory 1980 82 p 184 This tallies with the year given in the National Thesaurus for Author Names The Netherlands UK records show that in 1932 a Cyril Byers wed an Amy Irene Cookson born in London in 1907 in London a b c To Exercise Our Talents The Democratization of Writing in Britain Christopher Hilliard Cambridge MA Harvard University Press 2009 ISBN 0 674 02177 0 Schedule BBC Programme Index Familiar Strange The Spectator 19 November 1954 Retrieved 17 January 2019 Broadcast BBC Programme Index External links Edit nbsp Children s literature portalWorks by Irene Byers in the British Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Irene Byers amp oldid 1165588716, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
