Opie collection of children's games & songs
Opie, Iona (6 of 6) Cathy Courtney Oral History Collection
- Add a note
Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
- All notes
- My notes
- Hide notes
- Add to playlist
Log in to add this item to one of your personal lists.
- Add to favourites
Log in to add and display this item in your personal list of favourites on the right hand side of this page.
The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »
Type
sound
Duration
00:40:41
Shelf mark
C968/139
Recording date
1989-11-10
Recording locations
interviewee's home
Interviewees
Opie, Iona 1947- (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Wright, Elizabeth (speaker, female)
Abstract
Part 6: [Starts at 00:00:55] Discussion of PO dying; continuing ‘The Singing Game’ after PO’s death; mourning. Reverting to the person she was before marriage. PO’s need for a daily routine and framework; IO’s lack of routine after PO’s death. IO’s books since PO’s death: ‘The Book of Narrative’ and ‘The Singing Game’, 1985. Discusses collaborating with Moira Tatem for ‘A Dictionary of Superstitions’. Working late into the night with PO. Discusses ‘Superstitions’ as a departure from child lore. PO’s interest in the bibliographical history of each book. Discusses ‘The Classic Fairy Tales’; origins of text and pictures. Discussion of Joan Hassall and her work on ‘The Oxford nursery rhyme book’. Mentions Kaye Webb and an approach to do ‘The Puffin Book of Nursery Rhymes’; describes how PO chose the illustrator Pauline Baynes. IO’s researching for the games book. Discusses Nicola Bailey, illustrator for ‘Tail Feathers from Mother Goose’; using all of Walker Books illustrators to contribute to the book; mentions Anthony Browne. Brief discussion of ‘The Treasures of Childhood’. RO’s desire to get to know the toy collection. Brief discussion of IO’s children’s adult life Leticia, IO and RO. Briefly discusses PO’s dislike of holidays and previous travel experiences. Discusses recent trips to New York to publicise ‘Tail Feathers’; staying at the Algonquin; mentions Leonard Marcus. Describes another trip in May 1989; keeping up to date with children’s’ world in New York. Possible future travels. Brief mention of Toe Rhymes.
Description
Life story interview with Iona Opie (1923-2017), folklorist.
Metadata record: