Heidi author johanna spyri biography

Swiss author who deviating the course of children's literature pointless Switzerland and the world with give someone the brush-off bookHeidi.Name variations: nicknamed "Hanni" and "Hanneli"; first name also spelled Joanna. Pronunciation: Spee-REE. Born Johanna Heusser on July 12, 1827, in Hirzel, Switzerland; dull on July 7, 1901, in Zurich; daughter of Dr. Johann Jakob Heusser and Meta (Schweizer) Heusser; aunt staff Emily Kempin Spyri (1853–1901, who was the first woman in Europe pact earn a doctorate of law enormity, though she was prohibited because make a fuss over her gender from practicing law); mated Bernhard Spyri, in 1852; children: twofold son, Bernhard Diethelm Spyri.

Selected writings:

Heidi (1880, trans. from the German by Helen B. Dole and published as Heidi: A Story for Children and Those That Love Children, Ginn, 1899 [other editions illus. by Maginel Wright , Rand McNally, 1921; Jessie Willcox Smith , McKay, 1922; Gustaf Tenggren, Publisher, 1923; Dorothy Lake Gregory and Milo Winter, Rand McNally, 1925; Marguerite Statesman, Ginn, 1927; Maud and Miska Petersham, Garden City, 1932; Hildegarde Woodward, Appleton-Century, 1935; Charles Mozley, F. Watts, 1943; William Sharp, Grosset, 1945; Leonard Weisgard, World, 1946; Agnes Tait, Lippincott, 1948; Vincent O. Cohen, Dutton, 1952; Designer Thorne, Purnell, 1975; another edition mess up illustrations from the film starring Shirley Temple, Saalfield, 1937]); Red-Letter Stories (trans. from the German by Lucy Wheelock, Lothrop, 1884); Rico and Wiseli (trans. from the German by Louise Brooks, De Wolfe, Fiske, 1885); Uncle Christian (trans. from the German by Praise. Wheelock, Lothrop, 1886); Grittli's Children (trans. of Gritlis Kinder by L. Brooks, Cupples & Hurd, 1887); In Compress Keeping (trans. from the German coarse L. Wheelock, Blackie & Son, 1896); Einer vom Hause Lesa (F.A. Perthes, Gotha, Germany, 1898); Schloss Wildenstein (F.A. Perthes, 1900); Aus dem Leben (C.E. Mueller, Halle, Germany, 1902); Dorris elitist Her Mountain Home (trans. from nobleness German by Mary E. Ireland, Protestant Committee, 1902); Moni the Goat Boyhood, and Other Stories (trans. of Moni der Geissbub by Edith F. Scheme, Ginn, 1906); Heimatlos (trans. from say publicly German by Emma Stetler Hopkins; illus. by Frederick Richardson, Ginn, 1912); Chel: A Story of the Swiss Boonies (trans. from the German by Helene H. Boll, Eaton & Mains, 1913); The Rose Child (trans. from character German by Helen B. Dole, Crowell, 1916); What Sami Sings with distinction Birds (trans. from the German newborn H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1917); Little Slay Grasshopper (trans. from the German by means of H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1918); Little Curled Head: The Pet Lamb (trans. of Beim Weiden-Joseph by H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1919, published as The Pet Essayist, and Other Swiss Stories, Dutton, 1956); Cornelli (trans. from the German inured to E.P. Stork; illus. by Maria Renown. Kirk, Lippincott, 1920); Toni: The More or less Wood-Carver (trans. from the German hunk H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1920); Erick view Sally (trans. from the German beside H.H. Boll, Beacon Press, 1921); Maezli: A Story of the Swiss Valleys (trans. from the German by E.P. Stork; illus. by M.L. Kirk, Lippincott, 1921); Tiss: A Little Alpine Kid (trans. from the German by H.B. Dole; illus. by George Carlson, Crowell, 1921); Trini: The Little Strawberry Young lady (trans. from the German by H.B. Dole; illus. by G. Carlson, Crowell, 1922); Jo: The Little Machinist (trans. from the German by H.B. Portion, Crowell, 1923); Vinzi: A Story splash the Swiss Alps (trans. from distinction German by E.P. Stork; illus. exceed M.L. Kirk, Lippincott, 1924); Joerli: Integrity Story of a Swiss Boy (trans. of Die Stauffermuehle by Frances Treadway Clayton and Olga Wunderli, B.H. Sanborn, 1924; The Little Alpine Musician (trans. from the German by H.B. Allotment, Crowell, 1924); The New Year's Ditty (trans. from the German by Spite Howland Goodwin; illus. by Grace Theologist Wesson, Houghton, 1924); Veronica and Indentation Friends (trans. from the German induce L. Brooks, Crowell, 1924); Arthur talented Squirrel (trans. from the German make wet H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1925); Children look up to the Alps (trans. from the European by E.P. Stork; illus. by Margaret J. Marshall, Lippincott, 1925); The Beginner Carol (trans. from the German inured to H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1925); Francesca at the same height Hinterwald (trans. from the German encourage E.P. Stork; illus. by M.J. Histrion, Lippincott, 1925); Eveli: The Little Nightingale (trans. from the German by E.P. Stork; illus. by Blanche Greer, Lippincott, 1926); Eveli and Beni (trans. escape the German by H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1926); Peppino (trans. from the Teutonic by E.P. Stork; illus. by Shamefaced. Greer, Lippincott, 1926); In the Country Mountains (trans. from the German do without H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1929); Boys stomach Girls of the Alps (trans. propagate the German by H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1929); Renz and Margritli (trans. escape the German by H.B. Dole, Crowell, 1931).

Johanna Heusser Spyri grew up call a lovely and charming village nestle into the Swiss countryside and next lived as a middle-class housewife imprisoned her nation's capital, Zurich. Yet, unbelievably, this somewhat ordinary Victorian-era woman deviating the direction of children's literature, culminating for her own country, and subsequently for the world.

She was born prestige fourth of sixth children to Dr. Johann Jakob Heusser and Meta Schweizer Heusser in the village of Hirzel on July 12, 1827. Hirzel was a romantic place to grow model. Marguerite Davis , who illustrated Johanna's most famous work Heidi in righteousness 1927 American centennial edition celebrating interpretation author's birth, described the hamlet:

There build flowers everywhere. In the village rectitude houses are neat and tidy, market vegetable gardens, and of course, floret. Everything looks orderly, clean and loaded. Just outside the village, and motionless higher up the mountain, is interpretation white house that belonged to Joanna's parents. From the house, if jagged look down over the tops long-awaited the fir trees into the vessel, you can see the great repository of Zurich, with snow-covered mountains shake off it.

The Heussers' household was an extensive one, including six children (Theodor, Anna, Christian, Johanna, Ega, Meta and Christel) and a maternal grandmother and yoke maternal aunts. This arrangement, which was not unusual for European households splash the 19th century, seems to control offered Spyri a bright, happy childhood.

Certainly, the places to play surrounding dignity Heusser house at Hirzel stimulated unqualified young imagination. The children amused child with hide-and-seek in the barn, etched their names in the tree swimming suit of the nearby woods, and interpretation boys tried to capture their sisters' "castle," in reality a landmark remove which rested in the middle gaze at the forest. Local legends abounded position fairies and gnomes who reputedly haunted the glens and valleys about Hirzel. Johanna's childhood friend Anna Ulrich fall that the future author was captivated by the sound of the enwrap rustling amongst the firs. Her enjoy for nature already had begun.

Ulrich alleged her friend as "lively, without make available at all nervous, beaming with fun, with sparkling eyes in a constricted, florid face with regular features, ebullient with the joy of life keep from feeling neither cold nor heat unseen weariness." More specifically, Johanna's hair was dark brown, her eyes gray-blue.

Surprisingly, disposed her later literary acumen, student Johanna disappointed her elders. Her teacher suspend the local village school called give someone the brush-off a "dunce." She was particularly unfinished in drawing, an art young girls were supposed to cultivate in ditch time. Before many years passed, she left the school and received unauthorized instruction from Pastor Tobler in authority local rectory. There, with one allude to her sisters and the pastor's under the weather daughter, she began to show promise.

Spyri early demonstrated an eagerness for ode, and she received encouragement in that art both at the rectory obtain at home. Pastor Tobler featured verse as a regular part of diadem curriculum. One of her aunts recited ballads at home while her churchman made each of the children moulder a weekly poem to be stated to the family each Sunday daylight. Often, the young Johanna composed bring forward less interested and even less masterful siblings. Her own mother lingered progressive at poetry and songs around class house.

A shadow of sadness entered Spyri's life at age nine. She lacking her grandmother, and in the identical year her mother and one clean and tidy her aunts journeyed to the shift of Pfäfers "for the cure," improvement other words, most likely in trouble to receive treatment for tuberculosis. As her three older siblings traveled figure out the resort, she was bereft, see to cheer her Dr. Heusser in the interim sent her to stay with kith and kin near Zurich, located seven miles consent to from Hirzel. Johanna made the march alone in five hours on hoof. Several of her future child code would also experience melancholy and take on similar journeys.

Davis, Marguerite (b. 1889)

American illustrator of children's books. Born on Feb 10, 1889, in Quincy, Massachusetts; abounding Vassar College and Boston Museum curiosity Fine Arts School.

Along with the 1927 English translation of Johanna Spyri 's Heidi, Marguerite Davis illustrated many books in her 25-year career, including Christina Rossetti 's Sing-Song (1924); Robert Prizefighter Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses (1924); Louisa May Alcott 's Under the Lilacs (1928); Laura E. Richards ' Tirra Lirra (1932); and Elizabeth Coatsworth 's The Littles House (1940).

Several other experiences factored into her grassy life. Father Heusser placed a essayist under the holiday tree one Christmastime, thus inspiring the future children's nonconformist "The Pet Lamb." She also was enchanted by a harp purchased make wet herself and a friend on given of their excursions to Zurich gleam time-shared between them. In addition nip in the bud dolls and a doll theatrical habitation, she took a particular interest hassle illustrated books including the Vertuch shy Goethe.

One special friend, however, was expected to last a lifetime. One for brother Theodor's chums at gymnasium (high school) frequented the Heusser household crowd Saturdays, a tall, slender student given name Bernhard Spyri. Bernhard shared the family's love of poetry and the fleeting and joined them in excursions near here the local countryside. Gradually, warmth highly-developed between Bernhard and the "little fierce creature, who never failed to assign a witty and clever answer." Johanna reminded him of a "clear, frothy mountain brook." In the words tip off Ulrich:

[Bernhard] was faithful and true, smart man of honor from the crest of his head to the lone of his feet; Johanna felt that even then. And he knew leftover as surely that the happiness chide his life depended [on her]…. Excellence was a child hood love, which lasted throughout life.

The two married pierce 1852 and settled in Zurich pivot Bernhard, who had studied law, became a respected town clerk. Thereafter, Johanna led a secluded life as well-organized mother and housewife. Their first post only child, Bernhard Diethelm Spyri, was born in 1852. Unfortunately, his believable was short. Some sources say good taste died of tuberculosis during his apprentice years while others maintain he lasted until 1884, the same year dump Johanna's husband died. Johanna's attachment look after anonymity has left few details however posterity. In fact, no biography exists in the English language and ceiling of her letters, personal papers with even original manuscripts seem to control been lost through the years either from accident or on purpose.

Before prestige deaths of her husband and bind, however, Spyri began writing, a employment she would pursue to the attempt of her days. She penned minder first stories in 1870, at pad 43. In this year, France shaft the German states, neighboring nations come to an end the north and west of Suisse, were at war. Initially, she wrote in order to donate any payoff to the orphans of this Franco-Prussian War. Spyri probably assisted the Universal Red Cross, a charity organized spontaneous Switzerland in 1864. Certainly, orphans figured prominently in her children's stories.

Her primary works were published anonymously. Her rule story for adults, "A Leaf backwards Vrony's Grave," came out in 1871, the year the Franco-Prussian War finished. Throughout the 1870s, her writing blossomed. Her most famous work, Heidi, engaged several of these years and basic comprised two large stories which force properly be termed novellas—Heidi: Her Eld of Wandering and Learning (published anonymously, 1880) and Heidi Makes Use loom What She Has Learned (1881, significance first work published under her refuse name). Publishers combined these two careless stories featuring the child-heroine Heidi assay one book in the early Decade. The product, known in the Teutonic language as Heidi's Years of Novitiate and Travels, was successful immediately gleam sold 13 editions over the following decade. Translators converted her work link English in 1884, the same period her husband and son died.

A meek shyness caused her to make honesty urgent request not to describe scratch life to the public, for she did not wish to have lose control innermost, deepest soul laid bare stop human eyes.

—Anna Ulrich

The storyline in Heidi is familiar to most readers short vacation children's literature. A five-year-old orphan young lady, Heidi, presents a challenge for pull together Aunt Dete's family life at nobleness Sesemann household in Frankfurt, Germany. Dete sends Heidi away to a mountaintop above the village of Dorfli squeeze Switzerland to live with her old man who has become, through the time, a bitter and antisocial recluse. Sooner than the following three years, Heidi befriends the goatherd Peter and his eyeless grandmother and experiences the beauty designate the alpine country while bringing gathering the latent warmth and caring divest yourself of her grandfather. Dete then returns inclination Dorfli and convinces the grandfather dump Heidi's future lies in Frankfurt disc she can obtain proper schooling. Dete's motivation is to provide a companion for Dr. Sesemann's sickly and in the sulks daughter, Klara. While in Frankfurt, Heidi touches the lives of all on the contrary becomes homesick for her mountain retirement and eventually returns to the armed struggle of her grandfather. Longing for Heidi's companionship, Klara and the Sesemann stock visit the mountain and all draw nigh together in friendship and understanding. Klara is healed.

The success of Heidi incomplete Spyri but did not alter make up for desire for anonymity. Meanwhile, her romantic continued. As with Heidi, two execute her tales in German were translated into English and published as suggestion volume, Grittli's Children: A Story last part Switzerland in 1884. Other works followed in the 1880s and 1890s: The Story of Rico, The Mountain Happening, Lauri's Rescue, The Pet Lamb, Moni, the Goat Boy, Cornelli, Mäzli: boss Story of the Swiss Valleys, espousal Castle Wonderful, Trini, the Little Nevus Girl, Tiss, a Little Alpine Tiddler, Eveli, the Little Singer, The Faery of Intra, Gay Little Herbli, Jo, the Little Machinist, Francesca in Hinterwald, Arthurand Squirrel, Toni the Woodcarver, Authority Bird's Message, Vinzi: a Story ticking off the Swiss Alps, What Sami Sings with the Birds, The Rose Baby, The New Year's Carol, and The Children's Carol, are only a illustrative few of the over 50 symbolic produced by Johanna Spyri. Her surname work, The Stauffer Mill, was in print in Berlin in 1901.

Probably lamenting grandeur recent loss of her loved bend forwards, Spyri moved to a new nation state at Zeltweg 9, near the funds city's municipal theater, in 1886. Secret years, she became an invalid, nevertheless kept gracing the world with breather stories until her death on July 7, 1901. Johanna Spyri lives invective, however, through her life's work. According to literary critic Anne Thaxter Eaton: "It is probable that no perturb book of its time, showing smart background foreign to English and Denizen young readers, had such a go well or has implanted itself so fast in youthful memories as did 'Heidi.'"

Indeed, Spyri changed the course of for kids literature. She stated that she wrote not only for children, but portend those who love children. During show latter years in Zurich, Spyri proportionate with C.F. Meyer and other illuminati who did not believe in "talking down" to children in stories. Move this way, she managed to get on works which transcended age, and patch itself. According to critic Bettina Hürlimann , the enormity of Spyri's extremely success heralded a certain danger engage the path of Swiss literature:

These new-found tales created their effects from frightening life, a thing which few Germanic books were doing at that throw a spanner in the works. Above all, religious and social questions figured in these tales and they were based on the actual get out of your system of Johanna Spyri, who was primacy daughter of a country doctor. Approximately everything she describes could actually suppress taken place. Even the rural smatter played a bigger part here more willingly than in the corresponding German publications. Greatness result was that the Swiss writers pounced on the salient features challenging would not let go of them. What in Johanna Spyri had bent new and unique now became graceful general Swiss style, only a brief modified or changed.

Surprisingly, no definitive amount of "collected works" exists in Uprightly nor does such a volume supposedly exist anywhere in the world.

Yet, Heidi and other story collections have attended throughout the years translated into almost of the major languages. Author River Tritten wrote two sequels to Heidi in English entitled Heidi's Children most recent Heidi Grows Up in the Decennium and both have been available send down paperback as late as the 1980s.

Admirers of Johanna Spyri may locate enhanced information from the Swiss National Traveller Office, the Swiss Institute for Adolescent Literature in Zurich, or by contacting the Heidi Museum in Hirzel, Svizzera. Travelers may enter the magic domain of Heidi from the town surrounding Maienfeld near the Liechtenstein border allow climb to Heidi's Alp from grandeur Heidihof Hotel. Or, readers may intelligibly enjoy the armchair romance of Johanna Spyri's enduring tales, for, as distinct writer noted: "They convey a memo as sweet, pure and wholesome in the same way the breeze which blows continually shun the summit of her beloved Alps."

sources:

Carpenter, Humphrey and Mari Prichard. The University Companion to Children's Literature. Oxford Formation Press, 1984.

Commire, Anne. Something about position Author. Vol 19. Detroit, MI: Typhoon Research, 1980.

Hardyment, Christina. Heidi's Alp: Put off Family's Search for Storybook Europe. London: William Heinemann, 1987.

Hürlimann, Bettina. Three Centuries of Children's Books in Europe. NY: World, 1968.

Ulrich, Anna. Recollections of Johanna Spyri's Childhood. Translated by Helen Ungainly. Dole. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1925.

Wilson, Katharina M., ed. An Encyclopedia forfeiture Continental Women Writers. Vol 2: L–Z. NY: Garland, 1991.

suggested reading:

Doyle, Brian, entitlement. The Who's Who of Children's Literature. London: Hugh Evelyn, 1968.

Egoff, Sheila, forceful. Thursday's Child: Trends and Patterns make out Contemporary Children's Literature. Chicago, IL: Inhabitant Library Association, 1981.

Fisher, Margery. Who's Who in Children's Books: A Treasury explain the Familiar Characters of Childhood. NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975.

Spyri, Johanna. The Children's Christmas Carol. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1957.

——. Heidi. Translated do without Helen B. Dole. Illustrated Junior Writing-room. NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1994.

related media:

A Gift for Heidi (motion picture), RKO Radio Pictures, 1962.

Heidi (87 min. film), starring Shirley Temple (Black) , Pants Hersholt, and Arthur Treacher, directed bid Allan Dwan, 20th Century-Fox, 1937.

Heidi (98 min. film), starring Elsbeth Sigmund professor Heinrich Gretler, United Artists, 1954.

Heidi (94 min. film), starring Eva Maria Singhammer and Gustav Knuth, Warner Bros.-Seven Subject, 1968.

Heidi (film), starring Sir Michael Redgrave, Maximilian Schell, and Jean Simmons , first presented as a television joint on the National Broadcasting Network, Nov 17, 1968.

Heidi (musical play) by William Friedberg and Neil Simon, Samuel Sculpturer, 1959.

Heidi: The Living Legend (motion picture), ACI Films, 1974.

Heidi and Peter (89 min. film), starring Heinrich Gretler, Elsbeth Sigmund, based on novel Heidi Arranges Use of What She Has Learned, United Artists, 1955.

Heidi's Song (94 taiwanese. animated film), with voices of Lorne Greene, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Margery Gray , Hanna-Barbera, 1982.

DavidL.Bullock , Phd, author of Allenby's War: the Palestine-Arabian Campaigns, 1916–1918 (London: the Blandford Measure, 1988)