Eleanor Farjeon

The hymn Morning Has Broken remains the most recognizable contribution of Eleanor Farjeon, a prolific author whose career spanned poetry, drama, and children's literature. Born in London in 1881 into an artistic family, she developed an early mastery of language, eventually securing her place in the literary canon through a diverse body of published work.

Early Development and Family

Raised in a household centered on letters and theater, Farjeon was the daughter of novelist Benjamin Farjeon and Maggie Jefferson, the daughter of actor Joseph Jefferson. Due to persistent ill health and poor eyesight during her youth, she was educated at home. She formed a deep bond with her brother Harry, with whom she maintained an elaborate, multi-year imaginative game that laid the foundation for her later narrative fluidity.

THE FREE TEST

How high is yours?

Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.

Take the IQ test →

Literary Versatility

Farjeon's output was vast, encompassing journalism, biography, and satire alongside her fiction. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, she contributed political verse to periodicals like The Herald and Punch under pseudonyms including Tomfool and Chimaera. She also collaborated frequently with her brother Herbert on dramatic works such as The Two Bouquets and The Glass Slipper, while her poetry collection Pan Worship appeared as early as 1908.

Contribution to Children's Literature

Her impact on youth literature earned her significant international recognition. She received the inaugural Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1956 and the Carnegie Medal in 1955, both citing The Little Bookroom. Her work was also acknowledged by the Catholic Library Association with the Regina Medal in 1959. Her influence extended to other artists, including a notable citation by animator Hayao Miyazaki.

Personal Life and Final Years

Though she never married, Farjeon maintained significant long-term friendships with individuals such as English teacher George Earle and actor Denys Blakelock. She was closely associated with the poet Edward Thomas and his wife Helen, later chronicling their relationship in Edward Thomas: The Last Four Years. Farjeon died in 1965 in Hampstead and is buried at St John-at-Hampstead.