K. M. Peyton
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Wendy Herald Peyton, who writes as K.M. Peyton (born 2 August 1929) is a British author.
Born in Birmingham
, Peyton has written more than fifty novels, including the much loved Flambards
and its sequels for which she won both the Carnegie Medal
and the Guardian Award
. In 1979 these were made into a 13 part television series, Flambards
, which starred Christine McKenna
as the novels' heroine Christina Parsons.
She began writing when she was nine, first publishing when she was fifteen under her maiden name of Kathleen Herald; she 'never decided to become a writer...[she]...just was one'. Though she couldn't own a horse (she grew up in London), she was obsessed with them: all her early books are about girls who have ponies. After school, she went to Kingston Art School then Manchester Art School. There she met another student, Mike Peyton
(an ex-serviceman who had been a prisoner of war), who shared her love of walking in the Pennines. They married when she was twenty-one and went travelling around Europe.
When they returned to Britain, Peyton completed a teaching diploma. However, after the birth of her second daughter, she turned to writing full-time: mostly boy's adventure stories which she sold in serialised form to The Scout magazine, and then published in full. This was when Peyton began writing under K.M. Peyton: the 'M' was her husband Mike who helped create the plots.
The Peytons loved sailing, and her first books were on that subject; soon, however, she returned to her 'first love', horses, and began to write what became the Flambards
series. When Peyton became involved with horse racing, she used those experiences as further inspiration for writing.
Fidra Books
has reissued Fly-By-Night and its sequel, The Team. Oxford University Press
, Usborne Publishing
and David Fickling Books
also publish her work.
(The Pennington Series continues the story of Ruth Hollis).
(See also the Ruth Hollis series)
Writers who cite K M Peyton as an influence include Linda Newbery, whose young adult novel THE DAMAGE DONE (2001, Scholastic) is dedicated "to Kathleen Peyton, who made me want to try".
Born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Peyton has written more than fifty novels, including the much loved Flambards
Flambards
Flambards is a novel by the English author K. M. Peyton.The book and its three sequels are set just before, during, and after World War I...
and its sequels for which she won both the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
and the Guardian Award
Guardian Award
The Guardian Children's Fiction Prize or Guardian Award is a prominent award for works of children's literature by British or Commonwealth authors, published in the United Kingdom during the preceding year. The award has been given annually since 1967, and is decided by a panel of authors and the...
. In 1979 these were made into a 13 part television series, Flambards
Flambards (TV series)
Flambards was a television series of 13 episodes which was broadcast in the United Kingdom in 1979 and in the United States in 1980. The series was based on the three Flambards novels of English author K. M...
, which starred Christine McKenna
Christine McKenna
Christine McKenna was a British actress during the 1970s and 1980s and best known for playing "Christina" in the television series, Flambards....
as the novels' heroine Christina Parsons.
She began writing when she was nine, first publishing when she was fifteen under her maiden name of Kathleen Herald; she 'never decided to become a writer...[she]...just was one'. Though she couldn't own a horse (she grew up in London), she was obsessed with them: all her early books are about girls who have ponies. After school, she went to Kingston Art School then Manchester Art School. There she met another student, Mike Peyton
Mike Peyton
Mike Peyton, born in 1921, is a British cartoonist, described by his biographer as ‘the world’s greatest yachting cartoonist’.-Biography:Mike Peyton was born into a mining family in County Durham, the son of a disabled First World War veteran...
(an ex-serviceman who had been a prisoner of war), who shared her love of walking in the Pennines. They married when she was twenty-one and went travelling around Europe.
When they returned to Britain, Peyton completed a teaching diploma. However, after the birth of her second daughter, she turned to writing full-time: mostly boy's adventure stories which she sold in serialised form to The Scout magazine, and then published in full. This was when Peyton began writing under K.M. Peyton: the 'M' was her husband Mike who helped create the plots.
The Peytons loved sailing, and her first books were on that subject; soon, however, she returned to her 'first love', horses, and began to write what became the Flambards
Flambards
Flambards is a novel by the English author K. M. Peyton.The book and its three sequels are set just before, during, and after World War I...
series. When Peyton became involved with horse racing, she used those experiences as further inspiration for writing.
Fidra Books
Fidra Books
Fidra Books is a publisher based in Edinburgh which specialises in reissuing forgotten children's books, especially those from the 1940s onwards....
has reissued Fly-By-Night and its sequel, The Team. Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, Usborne Publishing
Usborne Publishing
Usborne Publishing, often called Usborne Books, is a United Kingdom-based publisher of children's literature.Founded by Peter Usborne in 1973, Usborne Publishing uses an in-house team of writers, editors and designers and is translated into over 55 languages...
and David Fickling Books
David Fickling Books
David Fickling Books is an imprint of Random House which has published books by authors including Philip Pullman, Mark Haddon, John Boyne, Nick Ward and Linda Newbery.-List of Books Published:-References:...
also publish her work.
The Flambards Series
- FlambardsFlambardsFlambards is a novel by the English author K. M. Peyton.The book and its three sequels are set just before, during, and after World War I...
(1967) - The Edge of the CloudThe Edge of the CloudThe Edge of the Cloud is the second novel in the Flambards sequence by K. M. Peyton. It is set in the years prior to the First World War and has a strong backdrop of aviation as it follows the romance of Christina Parsons and Will Russell...
(1969) - Flambards in SummerFlambards in SummerFlambards in Summer is the last book in the original Flambards trilogy by K. M. Peyton, though it was followed in 1981 by Flambards Divided.-Plot summary:...
(1969) - Flambards DividedFlambards DividedFlambards Divided is a sequel to the Flambards trilogy, written by K. M. Peyton.-Synopsis:Flambards Divided continues the story of Christina, who has married Dick, following the death of her first husband, her cousin Will, during World War I. No one approves of Christina's marriage to Dick,...
(1981)
The Ruth Hollis Series
- Fly-by-Night (1968)
- The Team (1975)
(The Pennington Series continues the story of Ruth Hollis).
The Pennington Series
- Pennington's Seventeenth SummerPennington's Seventeenth SummerPennington's Seventeenth Summer is the first novel in a quartet for young adults by K. M. Peyton. The series is about Patrick Pennington, known to his friends as Penn. In this first title he is sixteen and in his final year of school...
(later republished as Pennington's Last Term) (1970) - The Beethoven Medal (1971) (a.k.a. If I Ever Marry)
- Pennington's Heir (1973)
- Marion's Angels (later republished as Falling Angels) (1979)
The Jonathan Meredith Series
- Prove Yourself a Hero (1977)
- A Midsummer Night's Death (1978)
- The Last Ditch (1984) (also published as Free Rein)
(See also the Ruth Hollis series)
Other books
- Sabre, the Horse from the Sea (published under her maiden name) (1947)
- The Mandrake - A Pony (published under her maiden name) (1949)
- Crab the Roan (published under her maiden name) (1953)
- North to Adventure (1959)
- Stormcock Meets Trouble (1961)
- The Hard Way Home (1962)
- Windfall (1962) (also published as Sea Fever)
- Brownsea Silver (1964)
- The Maplin Bird (1964)
- The Plan for Birdsmarsh (1965)
- Thunder in the Sky (1966)
- A Pattern of RosesA Pattern of RosesA Pattern of Roses is a 1972 children's novel by British author K. M. Peyton, about a mystery and a ghost. It was issued in the US under the title So Once Was I in 1975, but subsequent editions have used the original title....
(1972) - The Right-Hand ManThe Right-Hand ManThe Right-Hand Man is a young adult historical novel by K. M. Peyton, first published in 1977. The book is set in 1818 in Essex and London, during the Georgian era...
(1977) - Dear Fred (1981)
- Going HomeGoing Home (novel)Going Home is a children's novel by K. M. Peyton. It was first published in 1982.The book is set in the present day, starting in London but mostly set in Normandy, France. It tells the story of Milly and Micky who come from a problem family. Their father has abandoned the family and their mother...
(1982) - Who, Sir? Me, Sir?: 1000 Headwords (1983)
- Froggett's Revenge (1985)
- The Sound of Distant Cheering (1986)
- Downhill all the Way (1988)
- Darkling (1989)
- Skylark (1989)
- No Roses Round the Door (1990)
- Poor Badger (1990)
- The Boy Who Wasn’t There (1992)
- Late to Smile (1992)
- Apple Won't Jump (1992)
- The Wild Boy and Queen Moon (1993)
- Snowfall (1994)
- The Swallow Tale (1995)
- Mr Brown (1995)
- Swallow Summer (1996)
- Swallow the Star (1997)
- Unquiet Spirits (1997)
- The Pony That Went to Sea (1997)
- Windy Webley (1997)
- Danger Offshore (1998)
- Firehead (1998)
- Plain Jack (1998)
- The Paradise Pony (1999)
- The Scruffy Pony (1999)
- Blind Beauty (1999)
- The Pied Piper (1999)
- Horses (Non fiction) (2000)
- Stealaway (2001)
- Pony in the Dark (2001)
- Small Gains (2003)
- Greater Gains (2005)
- Blue Skies and Gunfire (2006)
- Minna's Quest (2007)
- My Alice
- Grey Star, the Story of a Racehorse (published under her maiden name)
Writers who cite K M Peyton as an influence include Linda Newbery, whose young adult novel THE DAMAGE DONE (2001, Scholastic) is dedicated "to Kathleen Peyton, who made me want to try".