Enid Bagnold (1889-1981)

Highly respected British author and playwright. Enid bagnold is her maiden name, which she wrote under: she was actually called Lady Enid Jones.

Only wrote two books for children and only the single pony book. However that (National Velvet) was a corker and became one of the most well know pony stories of all time!

Enid was born in Kent on 27th October 1889, although brought up mainly in Jamaica. She actually first studied painting, before turning to writing. She was in fact much more prolific as a playwright than an author, and her most famous book was itself adapted into a play.

There is quite a lot about the author on the internet and there are two biographies of her. I have included a few links to information and you can find out lots more by doing a google search.

Horse & Pony Books:

NATIONAL VELVET
(HEINEMANN 1935)
ILLUSTRATED BY LAURIEN JONES
Reprinted many times in both hardback and paperback and in both the UK and USA.
The author later adapted the book into a play in 1946 and it was also made into a successful film in 1944. There was a later film sequel made called International Velvet which was then adapted in novel form (see related fiction section below).
It was also made into a little known USA TV adaptation.
SUMMARY: Horse-mad Velvet Brown, being from a large and poor family, has to content herself by cutting out pictures of horses and pretending they are real. Then she wins a piebald horse at a fair. Mi, the delivery boy (who also happens to be an ex-jockey) jokes that 'Pie' should be entered in the National when he sees him jump. But Velvet takes him at his word and embarks upon an amazing attempt to win the big race.
PONYMAD VIEW: This book was doubtless made famous by the classic film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney. A good film but the book is outstanding, although not really in the traditional mould of the pony book.
PONYMAD RATING: GOLDEN CUP FOR OUTSTANDING READ

NATIONAL VELVET (PLAY VERSION)
(DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE 1961)
The play itself was produced in London in 1946.
Later published in printed form.

Related Fiction:

INTERNATIONAL VELVET
by Bryan Forbes
(HEINEMANN 1978)
Reprinted in paperback a number of times.
EDITIONS PICTUREDl 1st edition, Pan paperback edition.
SUMMARY: The story is a belated sequel to the first book. Velvet is now grown up and looking after her difficult niece Sarah. Can a shared love of horses bring them together?
Originally a film starring Tatum O'Neal and Anthony Hopkins. Bryan Forbes wrote a novelisation based closely on the film. (The book is actually far superior to the film.)

Collectors Info:
National Velvet, having been reprinted so many times, is very easy to find, especially in paperback in both the UK and USA The first editions (both UK and US) are however rare and very valuable. International Velvet is also pretty easy to find in paperback. The hardback is slightly harder to get hold of.

Books about the author:

ENID BAGNOLD'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
(HEINEMANN 1969)
Reprinted in the US in hardback by Little, Brown and Co. and in UK paperback in the 1980s by Century.
SUMMARY: Autobiography with foreword by children's author Barbara Willard

ENID BAGNOLD by ANNE SEBBA
(WEIDENFELD & NICHOLSON 1986)
Reprinted in the US by Taplinger in 1987
SUMMARY: The authorized biography. Delves deeper into her life than her own autobiography.

Collectors Info:
Both reasonably easy to find.