Margaret Biggs

Margaret Biggs
Born	1929 (age 95–96) [1] Orpington, Kent [1]
Pen name	Eve Gothard [1]
Occupation	Writer
Genre	School stories
Notable works	The Melling series
Spouse	David Cadney [1]
Children	3 [1]

Margaret Biggs (born 1929, Orpington, Kent) is a writer of girls' school stories. ^[1] She is best known for her Melling School series of books, first published by Blackie in the 1950s. ^{[1] [2]} The series is set at a weekly boarding school and is unusual in showing boarding school and home life side by side. ^[1] The interaction between girls and boys is also atypical of the genre at that time. The Melling series was republished by Girls Gone By Publishers in the 2000s and the reprints, whilst retaining the original text and artwork, have new introductions by Margaret Biggs, who is "taking great pleasure in the republication of her books".

Margaret Biggs wrote two new volumes in the series fifty years later, Kate at Melling, set twelve years after the earlier books, and Changes at Melling, which were published by Girls Gone By Publishers in 2008 and 2009 respectively. ^{[1] [3]}

Biography

Margaret Biggs moved to Hertfordshire in 1935 where she was educated at Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls in Barnet. ^[1] After leaving school in 1946, Biggs worked in the editorial department of Evans Brothers publishers, where she met Jacqueline Blairman with whom she co-wrote her first school story. ^[1] Before that, her published writing had consisted of short stories and magazine articles.

Margaret Biggs married David Cadney in 1953; they have three children. ^[1]

Critical response

The Encyclopaedia of Girls' School Stories says that her "world is warm without being too cosy, and realistic without being too harsh". ^[1] Biggs herself wrote "I felt strongly that girls' traditional school stories needed a bit of a shake-up out of the old mould". ^[4]

Works

The Melling series

• The Blakes Come to Melling, Blackie, 1951. ASIN B0000CI0SM
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2004. ISBN   1-904417-38-8
• The New Prefect at Melling, Blackie, 1952. ASIN B0000CI7ZY
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2004. ISBN   1-904417-51-5
• Last Term for Helen, Blackie, 1953. ASIN B0000CIKD0
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2005. ISBN   1-904417-64-7
• The Head Girl at Melling, Blackie, 1954. ASIN B0000CIT5P
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2005. ISBN   1-904417-77-9
• Susan in the Sixth, Blackie, 1955. ASIN B0000CJ83R
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2007. ISBN   978-1-84745-022-7
• The New Girl at Melling, Blackie, 1956.
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2006. ISBN   1-904417-97-3
• Summer term at Melling, Blackie, 1957. ASIN B0000CJRRL
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2007. ISBN   978-1-84745-012-8
• Stories of Melling School, Blackie, 1960. OCLC   638627763 (Containing: The Blakes come to Melling, The New Prefect at Melling, and, Last Term for Helen)
• More stories of Melling School, Blackie, 1961. ASIN B0000CKXIN (Containing: The Head Girl at Melling, Susan in the Sixth, and, Summer Term at Melling)
• Kate at Melling, Girls Gone By Publishers, 2008. ISBN   978-1-84745-035-7
• Changes at Melling, Girls Gone By Publishers, 2009. ISBN   978-1-84745-077-7

Other titles

• Triplets at Royders (with Jacqueline Blairman), Sampson Low, 1950?
• Christmas term at Vernley, Blackie, 1951
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2012. ISBN   978-1-84745-144-6
• Bobby at Hill House, Warne, 1954
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2014. ISBN   978-1-84745-170-5
• Dilly goes to Ambergate, Blackie, 1955
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2011. ISBN   978-1-84745-113-2
• The Two Families, Blackie, 1958
  • Republ. by Girls Gone By Publishers, 2010. ISBN   978-1-84745-091-3

Short stories

• "Mary's New Friend" in A Book of Girls' Stories, Golden Pleasure Books, 1964
• "Lucinda's Long Afternoon" and "Pip and the Famous Author" in Girls' Choice: A New Book of Stories, Hamlyn, 1965

References

1. Sims, Sue; Clare, Hilary (2020). "Margaret Biggs". In Thomas, Tig (ed.). The Encyclopaedia of Girls' School Stories. Coleford: Girls Gone By. pp. 85–88. ISBN   978-1-84745-257-3.
2. Good Reads website: author biography, retrieved 7 February 2010
3. Girls Gone By: Publisher's website Archived 17 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
4. Biggs, Margaret (2005). Head Girl of Melling. Coleford: Girls Gone By. p. 8. ISBN   1-904417-77-9.

See also

• Children's literature portal

• The Chalet School series of books written by Elinor Brent-Dyer.
• The genre author Angela Brazil