Pullein-Thompson sisters

The Pullein-Thompson sisters – Josephine Pullein-Thompson MBE (3 April 1924 – 19 June 2014),Diana Pullein-Thompson (1 October 1925 – 21 October 2015), and Christine Pullein-Thompson (1 October 1925 – 2 December 2005) – were British writers, known mainly for their pony books, mostly fictional, aimed at children and mostly popular with girls. They started at a very young age, initially writing collectively, and they were at their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but their popularity has endured. They also wrote a collective autobiography Fair Girls and Grey Horses.

Their mother, Joanna Cannan (1898–1961), sister of the poet May Cannan, wrote similar equestrian stories, but is better known for detective mysteries. Their father, Captain Harold J "Cappy" Pullein-Thompson, was badly wounded during the First World War. Consequently, he made his money by selling refrigerators, and did not publish any works. They also had a brother, Denis Cannan, who was an author as well, primarily a playwright, though he had not published as many works as his sisters.

The sisters' maternal cousin was novelist and dramatist Gilbert Cannan; Diana wrote a biography of his life. Their paternal cousin was the composer John Gardner.

Christine married Julian Popescu in 1956 and had four children, including Charlotte Popescu, who also wrote children's pony books.

Diana married art historian Dennis Farr, and had a son and a daughter. The National Portrait Gallery contains portraits of Diana and her two children.

All three of the Pullein-Thompson sisters have written at least one book under a different name; Josephine wrote one under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann, Diana wrote three books under her married name of Diana Farr and Christine wrote two books under the name of Christine Keir. Further details of the titles are given in the relevant section.

The sisters' books are strongly oriented towards ponies, and for over 60 years they have been much loved by young girls with a strong enthusiasm for horses and ponies. Diana has often written books aimed at a slightly older audience, including some set in London. Christine was the most prolific and also wrote a number of stories which are not specifically concerned with horses or ponies; these are mostly aimed at younger children. Apart from the books listed below, all three sisters have also edited and contributed to various anthologies of horse and pony stories.

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