Elisabeth Beresford
| Elisabeth Beresford | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 August 1926 Paris, France |
| Died | 24 December 2010 (aged 84) Alderney, Channel Islands |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's books, novels |
| Spouse | Max Robertson (1949–1984) |
| Children | Marcus Robertson, Kate Robertson |
Elisabeth "Liza" Beresford, MBE (6 August 1926 – 24 December 2010) was a British author of children's books, best known for creating The Wombles. Born into a family with many literary connections, she worked as a journalist but struggled for success until she created the Wombles in the late 1960s. The strong theme of recycling was particularly notable, and the Wombles became very popular with children across the world. While Beresford produced many other literary works, the Wombles remained her best known creation.
Beresford was born on 6 August 1926 in Paris, France. Her father was writer J. D. Beresford, a successful novelist who also worked as a book reviewer for several newspapers. Her godparents included author Walter de la Mare (who dedicated several poems to her), poet Cecil Day-Lewis, and children’s writer Eleanor Farjeon. Beresford enjoyed many literary connections; her parents’ friends included H. G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, John Galsworthy, Hugh Walpole, W. Somerset Maugham, and D. H. Lawrence. Beresford attended Brighton and Hove High School.
After 18 months' service as a Wren, Beresford started work as a ghostwriter specialising in writing speeches. She began training as a journalist and was soon writing radio, film and television columns, and working for the BBC as a radio reporter. Beresford married BBC tennis commentator and broadcaster Max Robertson in 1949. The couple had one son and one daughter. Trips to Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies with Robertson led to children’s books. The Television Mystery (1957), her first, was among several "conventional adventure stories and thrillers", and two television series: Seven Days to Sydney and Come to the Caribbean.Awkward Magic (1964) was the first of several fantasies in the manner of E. Nesbit.
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