Fisher, Margery, 1913-1992

Fisher was born Margery Turner in 1913 in Camberwell, London, England; B. Litt and MA from Somerville College, Oxford; became author and critic; taught English at Oundle School, 1939-45; organized courses on reading and writing for pleasure for the National Federation of Women's Institutes; in 1962, created her own journal, Growing point, for reviewing children's books; publications include Field day (1951), Intent upon reading : a critical appraisal of modern fiction for children (1961), Matters of fact : aspects of non-fiction for children (1972), Who's who in children's books (1975), and The bright face of danger (1986); she died on Dec. 24, 1992 in Northampton, England.

From the description of Papers, 1937-1992. (University of California, Los Angeles). WorldCat record id: 40859312

Margery (Turner) Fisher was born March 21, 1913, in Camberwell, London, and died on December 24, 1992, in Northampton, England. As an expert in the field of children's literature, Fisher wrote informative, analytical guides to children's fiction and nonfiction. In 1962, she created her own reviewing journal, Growing Point, which she also edited and published. Intent upon Reading: A Critical Appraisal of Modern Fiction for Children, first published in 1961, was one of her most noteworthy contributions to literature. Biorgraphical Source: Something About the Author, Vol. 74, p. 80 Something About the Author, Vol. 20, p. 47

From the guide to the Margery M. Fisher, 1963, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])

Biography

Fisher was born Margery Turner in 1913 in Camberwell, London, England; B.Litt and MA from Somerville College, Oxford; became author and critic; taught English at Oundle School, 1939-45; organized courses on reading and writing for pleasure for the National Federation of Women's Institutes; in 1962, created her own journal, Growing point, for reviewing children's books; publications include Field day (1951), Intent upon reading: a critical appraisal of modern fiction for children (1961), Matters of fact: aspects of non-fiction for children (1972), Who's who in children's books (1975), and The bright face of danger (1986); she died on December 24, 1992 in Northampton, England.

Biographical Narrative

Margery Fisher became one of the world's most knowledgeable authorities on books written for children. She acquired this reputation through her publications and the review of children's books Growing Point which she edited and published for thirty years; and this reputation in turn led to her being sought and her involvement with organizations concerned with such books throughout the world.

Born in England, she spend her childhood in New Zealand, returning to England in 1932 to go to Somerville College, Oxford. In 1936 she married James Fisher, who was to become known worldwide as an ornothologist and TV naturalist. During the war she taught in a boys' public school which provided the background for her first novel Field Day in 1951. While bringing up six children, she continued to write and to review books, collaborating with her husband on Shackleton, a biography in 1957; but it was the almost total lack of guidance about books written for children that led her first to review them, in magazines and on the radio, and then in 1961 to produce her first major contribution in this field: ...Intent upon Reading: a critical appraisal of modern fiction for children.

This book quickly became a classic and, as a continuation of the research she had had to do to produce it, she started Growing Point, a small magazine which she edited and published. It was described on the cover as Margery Fisher's regular review of books for growing families of the English reading world and for parents, teachers, librarians and other guardians. Each issue contained at least on major review, a number of short reviews and, most imaginatively, group reviews of collections of books covering similar subjects or age groups. This magazine appeared regularly and was read throughout the English speaking world for thirty years, from 1962 to 1992 when she finally closed it down

She quickly became the doyen among reviewers of children's books, and her unique standing in this field was as quickly recognized. In 1966 she was the first recipient of the Eleanor Farjeon Award; and in 1970 she was invited to give the first May Hill Arbuthnot lecture by the American Library Association.

Her own published work continued to expand her field: anthologies such as Open Door ; encyclopedias such as Who's Who in Children's Books ; and in 1972 ... Intent upon Reading was followed by the complementary volume: Matters of Fact, aspects of non-fiction for children . A further extension of this set came, in 1986, with The Bright Face of Danger which explored the likenesses and differences between adventure stories written and published for adults and those written and published for children.

In 1992 she wrote GP has always been a personal journal and written, with very few exceptions, by myself. . . it is appropriate for it to come to a complete end. She intended to concentrate on writing children's fiction herself. Sadly, she did not have the opportunity.

Note: She was known as Angus by her friends since her college days - see many letters addressed to her under that name.

From the guide to the Margery Turner Fisher Papers, 1937-1992, (University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.)