Hilda Lewis(1896-1974)

Historical novelist Hilda Lewis was born in London in 1896. She married Professor Michael Lewis in 1921 who became thew Director of the Institute of Education in the University of Nottingham. Her first book, a novel of London's East End where her grandfather was a clergyman. Her first famous book was The Ship that Flew in 1939. Hilda Lewis had an interest in social issues explored in the no9vel Strange Story which influence post-war opinion on capital punishment. Via her husband she developed an interest in the language of children with his educational research on deaf children, this resulted in her most famous book 'The Day Is Ours' which was filmed as Mandy also known as Crash of Silence (1952). In later years she wrote historical novel s including one of her final novels I Am Mary Tudor and The Witch and the Priest. Her novel about Richard II and his bride Isabella, The Gentle Falcon, was adapted for television in 1954. From her marriage in 1921 she remained in Nottingham for the rest of her life, the city inspired one of her early novels, Penny Lace, set in the lace making industry. After a major operation there were complications and she died as consequence in January 1974.