Kitty Barne

Background

Marion Catherine Barne was born on November 17, 1882 in Petersham, Surrey, United Kingdom, but was brought up in Somerset and Sussex, United Kingdom.

Education

Kitty studied at the Royal College of Music, London, United Kingdom.

Career

Worked in a hostel as a young adult. Barne was a member of the Women's Voluntary Service, responsible for the reception of children evacuated to Sussex. During the war years, she published six novels, most notably "Visitors from London" about evacuees. Besides her novels, she wrote some non-fiction books, including a biography of Elizabeth Fry (who was her husband's great grandmother) in 1950. She was the Girl Guides "Commissioner for Music and Drama" for some years.

Achievements

• For "Visitors from London" she won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Rosina and Son
  • Rosina Copper
  • Visitors From London
  • Tann's Boarders
  • Barbie
  • Secret of the sand hills (Junior Red badge mysteries)
  • Family Footlights
  • We'll Meet in England
  • Dog Stars
  • The Amber Gate
  • While the Music Lasted
  • Elizabeth Fry
  • Here Come the Girl Guides
  • Musical Honours
  • Introducing Mozart
  • The windmill mystery
  • In the same boat,

• Other Work

  • Listening To The Orchestra

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Ruth Gervis: "Kitty Barne was a most delightful author, not because she gave one a free hand, far from it, but because she knew exactly what she wanted and was so delighted when one caught her visual images. It was a true collaboration of author and artist. We would meet and then, her good ear towards me, her eyes shining, her face alive with interest, she would discuss her characters. I used to make dozens of quick sketches until I got them as she pictured them, helped by her interjections, `Oh, rather a higher forehead and even deeper set eyes` or 'oh, no you've made her far too nice, I think she is a horrid little girl.' We would laugh together over her amusing adults as she suggested incidents for me to sketch which would bring out their characteristics".

Interests

• music

Connections

Kitty was married to Eric Streatfeild.