Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff was born in Surrey, the daughter of a naval officer. At the
age of two she contracted the progressively wasting Still's disease, and hence
spent most of her life in a wheelchair. Although an avid reader, Rosemary made
little progress with formal studies.
She left school at the age of fourteen to attend art school in Bideford, where
she specialized in miniature painting. Her first children's book was published
in 1950, and from then on she devoted her time and talents to the writing of
children's historical novels, which have placed her name high in the field of
contemporary children's literature.
Many of her books are set in Roman Britain, a period which particularly interested
her. Oxford is proud to publish Rosemary's Roman Britain series, and The Lantern Bearers was awarded the 1959 Carnegie Medal.
Rosemary Sutcliff received an OBE in the 1975 Birthday Honours List. Sadly,
she died in 1992 at the age of 72.