The Life and Times of a busy bookseller, her husband and Gordon setter dogs in North Norfolk.

Friday 5 November 2010

Sybil Burr

As usual I have been buying in books - I never stop, I just can't resist them - much to Jeff's dismay! In the latest batch I acquired some Sybil Burr books - an author who is usually much sought after but whose books rarely surface. I suspect the print runs of her books cannot have been very long. I remember her name as an author from when I was young, but can't remember why as I don't remeber reading any of her books.

Sybil Burr wrote several girls' books in the 1950s. She is perhaps best known for her book Life with Lisa, the fictional diary of a 12-year-old girl who lived in Ramsgate - (as did Sybil herself for a time), and whose story concerning Lisa and her obsevations on her neighbours and surroundings, was later reprinted by Puffin Books (1979) and then adapted for Radio 4 in 2003 with Victoria O'Donnell playing Lisa. Sybil wrote a sequel, Leave It To Lisa.
Sybil wrote several full length stories, and some short ones for annuals but I think my bibliography of her books is probably incomplete. If anyone can help me out with extra bibliographic details, I would be grateful & interested to receive them.

Bibliographical details - that we know of.
1. Full length books.
Lantern of the North, illus. Sheila Rose. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1954.
My Candle the Moon, illus. Sheila Rose. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1955.
The Saint Bride Blue, illus. Leslie Atkinson. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1956;
Full Fathom Forty, illus. Leslie Atkinson. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1957.
Life With Lisa. London, John Murray, 1958.
Leave It To Lisa. London, John Murray, 1960.Operation Blindbell. London, J. M. Dent & Sons, 1960.

2. Short Stories - there are probably many others.
'Lisa Loses Her Hat', Daily Mail Annual for Girls 1953, 1952.
Story in Daily Mail annual for Boys & Girls, published 1954
Collins Girls' Annual, Girls' Own Book, etc in the 1950s (various)
Swift Annual 1 (1954)

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for bringing back a pleasant childhood memory. Lantern of the North was one of my favourite books, read many times. Unfortunately I can't find a copy to share with my three granddaughters.

    ReplyDelete