Person    | Female  Born 9/8/1899  Died 23/4/1996

P. L. Travers

Categories: Children, Literature

Countries: Australia

Author. Born Helen Lyndon Goff in Maryborough, Queensland. She emigrated to England at the age of 25 and adopted the name Pamela Lyndon Travers whilst writing the Mary Poppins novels for which she is best known, the first being published in 1934. There were eight in the series.

During WW2 she worked for the British Ministry of Information and travelled to America. Whilst there, she was contacted by Walt Disney with a view to selling him the rights to filming the Poppins novels. It was many years though before she finally agreed, and even then she disliked the film.

The story is told in the film 'Saving Mr. Banks' in which she is portrayed by Emma Thompson. She never married but lived for over a decade with Madge Burnand in a relationship that was described as 'intense'. Aged 40 she adopted an Irish baby boy, who became known as Camillus Travers. She died in London.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
P. L. Travers

Commemorated ati

P. L Travers

P. L Travers, 1899 - 1996, author or Mary Poppins, lived and worked here, 194...

Read More

Other Subjects

Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton

Children's writer. Born Enid Mary Blyton at 354 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich. Best known for creating the character of Little Noddy and the 'Famous Five' stories. Her works have been translated into...

Person, Children, Literature, Race Issues, Seriously Famous

4 memorials
William Hamley

William Hamley

Founded Hamleys toy shop. Born Cornwall.

Person, Children, Commerce

1 memorial
Olave Baden-Powell

Olave Baden-Powell

Born Olave Soames in Derbyshire. 1912 met Robert Baden-Powell on a trans-Atlantic ocean liner. They discovered that they shared a birthday, even if they were 32 years apart. This didn’t stop them m...

Person, Children, Community / Clubs, Kenya

1 memorial
Landsbergs boy scouts

Landsbergs boy scouts

"Toynbee Hall (Routledge Revivals): The First Hundred Years" 1984, Asa Briggs and Anne Macartney provides: "Already in the 1890s, there had been increasing interest in what would now be called yout...

Group, Children, Community / Clubs

1 memorial
Geoffrey Faithful Fortescue

Geoffrey Faithful Fortescue

Died aged 9. We believe this was the 'beloved son' of Lady Emily Fortescue, commemorated on the clock tower. See her page for the evidence.

Person, Children, Friend / family

1 memorial