Writing Children's Books – Mary Poppins

Literature for Children – P.L. Travers’ Bestselling Series

Oct 6, 2009

A brief history of the seven Mary Poppins books by P.L. Travers

Mary Poppins is one of the best loved characters of children’s literature. This article looks at the history of the books, and their writer.

Becoming a Writer

P.L. Travers was born in Queensland, Australia, in 1899. Her real name was Helen Lyndon Goff, and she adopted the name Pamela Lyndon Travers when she started her stage career.

She worked first as an actress in Australia, and moved to London in 1924. For ten years she was a writer of poetry and short stories, as well as a journalist, writing articles and columns for newspapers in England, Ireland and Australia.

Children's Book Writer

P.L. Travers first wrote a short story about a woman called Mary Poppins while she was still a teenager. However, it was another sixteen years before she resurrected the character and made her into the magical nanny that has delighted generations of children.

In 1934 Travers collected some of her whimsical short stories and wound them together in a series of adventures starring the prim, vain, mysterious nanny, Mary Poppins, employed to look after the five Banks children. They were an instant success.

Over the next fifty four years she wrote another six Mary Poppins books, the last when she was 89.

Disney’s Mary Poppins

Walt Disney made a film of Mary Poppins in 1964, starring Julie Andrews. It brought Travers fame and an income for life, but she was disappointed by Disney’s adaptation, which removed much of the mysticism of the book.

Life of P.L. Travers

Travers never married, but had several close relationships with women. She adopted a son, Camillus, in 1939, and died very wealthy in London in 1996, aged 96.

Mary Poppins Broadway Show

After her death, Walt Disney Theatricals produced Mary Poppins the Musical, based on her books and the 1964 Disney film. It opened in London in 2004, and on Broadway two years later. It has been hugely successful, and confirms Travers as one of the most important children’s writers of the 20th century.

Children’s Literature

P.L.Travers wrote seven Mary Poppins books, and four other books for children. The eighth Mary Poppins book was compiled after her death.

The Mary Poppins books are still available from good booksellers, and will provide hours of good reading material for children aged seven and up.

For more details about P.L. Travers, read Mary Poppins she Wrote by Valerie Lawson. Published by Aurum, ISBN 9781845131265.

The copyright of the article Writing Children's Books – Mary Poppins in Writing for Children is owned by Helen Brain. Permission to republish Writing Children's Books – Mary Poppins in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.