Rumer Godden
Born on 10 December 1907 in Eastbourne, Rumer Godden was a British citizen who worked across several literary forms throughout her life. Writing in English, she produced more than sixty fiction and non-fiction books, working as a novelist, poet, children's writer, and screenwriter — a range that reflected both the breadth of her interests and the sustained productivity of her career.
Her novels drew enough attention to translate repeatedly to the screen. Nine of her works were adapted into films, among them Black Narcissus in 1947 and The River in 1951. Her novel An Episode of Sparrows and the later In This House of Brede stand among her notable works in prose fiction. The reach of her writing extended beyond English-speaking audiences as well: she received the Zilveren Griffel, a Dutch award, alongside the Officer of the Order of the British Empire, recognitions that together suggest the span of her readership on both sides of the Channel.
Godden died on 8 November 1998 in Moniaive, a small village in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, just weeks before what would have been her ninety-first birthday. She had lived long enough to see her fiction adapted across generations of filmmakers and to accumulate a body of work — more than sixty titles — that crossed genre lines from adult literary fiction to poetry to children's literature. The Officer of the Order of the British Empire she received stands as a formal acknowledgment of that long and varied output.
Quotes by Rumer Godden
Rumer Godden's insights on:
Funny,′ said Harriet to herself. ‘The world goes on turning, and it has all these troubles in it.
I think there are only two ways to live in this place,’ said Sister Philippa, ’you must either live like Mr Dean or like the Sunnyasi; either ignore it completely or give yourself up to it.
You have to be very strong to live close to God or a mountain, or you’ll turn a little mad.
I can’t,’ but it was acceptance now. ‘I can’t,’ whispered Dame Catherine, ’so You must.
Dolls cannot choose; they can only be chosen; they cannot ‘do’; they can only be done by; children who do not understand this often do wrong things, and then the dolls are hurt and abused and lost; and when this happens dolls cannot speak, nor do anything except be hurt and abused and lost. If you have any dolls, you should remember that.
Sometimes,′ she said, remembering that morning, ‘I write poems that are taller than I am.
I don’t expect you to understand me any more than I can understand you; but I respect you and that’s the difference between us.
And we pray in reparation, to make up for all those who won’t or can’t pray for themselves – especially anyone in grave sin. That’s why communities say the longest and most arduous Office at night – the time when most sin is committed in the world.’ ‘You mean a little Carmelite might sit up and pray for a murderer?’ ‘She has, with results,’ said Philippa.
And you needn’t worry about being useful,’ said Dame Ursula. ‘When you have become God’s in the measure He wants, He, Himself, will know how to bestow you on others.’ She was quoting St Basil. Then her face grew wistful, ‘“Unless He prefer, for thy greater advantage, to keep thee all to himself.” That does happen to a few people. Yet, paradoxically, they have the greatest influence.
Not what thou art, nor what thou hast been, beholdeth God with His merciful eyes, but what thou wouldst be.