Angela Brazil

Angela Brazil
image of chlorobromide photographic print of Angela Brazil
Angela Brazil, c. early 1920s
Born(1868-11-30)30 November 1868
Preston, Lancashire, England
Died13 March 1947(1947-03-13) (aged 78)
Coventry, Warwickshire, England
OccupationChildren's book author
Alma materHeatherley School of Fine Art
Period1904–1946
GenreSchool stories
Notable works
  • The Fortunes of Philippa
  • The Nicest Girl in the School

Angela Brazil (pronounced "brazzle")[note 1] (30 November 1868 – 13 March 1947)[note 2] was one of the first British writers of "modern schoolgirls' stories", written from the characters' point of view and intended primarily as entertainment rather than moral instruction.[6] In the first half of the 20th century she published nearly 50 books of girls' fiction, the vast majority being boarding school stories. She also published numerous short stories in magazines.

Her books were commercially successful, widely read by pre-adolescent girls, and influenced them. [citation needed] Though interest in girls' school stories waned after World War II, her books remained popular until the 1960s. They were seen as disruptive and a negative influence on moral standards by some figures in authority during the height of their popularity, and in some cases were banned, or indeed burned, by headmistresses in British girls' schools.[7]

While her stories have been much imitated in more recent decades, and many of her motifs and plot elements have since become clichés or the subject of parody, they were innovative when they first appeared. Brazil made a major contribution to changing the nature of fiction for girls. She presented a young female point of view which was active, aware of current issues and independent-minded; she recognised adolescence as a time of transition, and accepted girls as having common interests and concerns which could be shared and acted upon.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Freeman-1976 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference KirkDL-1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Brazil-Birth was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Angela-1939 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Angela-Registration was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Orlando was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ A History of Homosexuality in Europe, Vol. I & II: Berlin, London ..., Volume 1, by Florence Tamagne, page 124


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