Lynne Reid Banks

Banks also wrote a biography of the Brontë family, entitled Dark Quartet, and a sequel about Charlotte Brontë, Path to the Silent Country.

Lynne Reid Banks studied at St Teresa's Preparatory School, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is literature, children's book and children's and young adult literature. Works named in the authority record are The Indian in the Cupboard and The L-Shaped Room.

• Name — Lynne Reid Banks • Born — 31 July 1929 • Birthplace — Barnes, Surrey, England • Died — 4 April 2024 • Place of death — Surrey, England • Occupation — Author • Notable Works — * The Indian in the Cupboard • The L-Shaped Room • Children — 3 • Website — lynnereidbanks.com • Native Name — לין ריד בנקס

Banks was born in Barnes, London, the only child of doctor James and actress Muriel Reid Banks. She was evacuated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada during World War II, with her mother and cousin, and returned after the war was over. Banks attended St Teresa's School Effingham in Surrey. Before becoming a writer, she was an actress, attending drama school, and in 1955 began working as a television journalist at ITN, one of the first women to do so in Britain. However, Banks felt she was pigeonholed into writing about certain subjects, and was often put to work writing scripts. In 1960, Banks released her first book, The L-Shaped Room, to massive success. Two years later, Banks emigrated to Israel, where she taught for eight years on a kibbutz, Yas'ur. In 1965, Banks married Chaim Stephenson (1926–2016), a sculptor; they had three sons together. Although not Jewish, she became an Israeli citizen. Although the family returned to England in 1971, the influence of Banks' time in Israel can be seen in some of her books (including One More River and its sequel, Broken Bridge, and other books, such as An End to Running and Children at the Gate) which are set partially or mainly on kibbutzim. In England, the family lived in the London suburbs and Beaminster, Dorset. In October 2013, Banks won the J. M. Barrie award for outstanding contribution to children's arts. In her later years, Banks lived in Shepperton, Surrey. She died from cancer at a care facility in Surrey, on 4 April 2024; Banks was 94 years old.

• The Farthest-Away Mountain, illus. Victor Ambrus (London: Abelard-Schuman, 1976); US ed., 1977; also illus. Dave Henderson • The Adventures of King Midas, illustrated by George Him (J. M. Dent, 1976); illus. Joseph A. Smith (William Morrow & Co, 1992), • The Indian in the Cupboard series • The Indian in the Cupboard (1980) • The Return of the Indian (1985) • The Secret of the Indian (1989) • The Mystery of the Cupboard (1993) • The Key to the Indian (1998) •, illus. William Geldart • Harry the Poisonous Centipede, illustrated by Tony Ross • * • * • Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea (2006) •; Illustrations Terry Riley, US ed., 1988 * * * • Bad Cat Good Cat, illus. Tony Ross (2011) • Ella and her bad Yellow T-Shirt, illus. Omri Stephenson (OGS, 2011) • The Wrong-Coloured Dragon, illus. Joanna Scott (Kindle, 2012) * • The Red Red Dragon (Walker Books, 2022) • Short stories •; illus. Barry Moser and Hilda Offen • Sarah and After: the matriarchs (The Bodley Head, 1975); US title, Sarah and After: five women who founded a nation – Bible stories • Older readers * • My Darling Villain (Bodley Head, 1977); US ed., 1986 • 88 •; US ed., 1989 • One More River, revised edition (NY: William Morrow, 1992), •; US ed., 1994 (revised?) – sequel to One More River • Maura's Angel (1998) * * • Stealing Stacey (2004)

• All in a Row: a comedy in three acts (Deane, 1956), • The L-Shaped Room (Chatto & Windus, 1960); US ed., 1961 • published in the US as House of Hope (Simon & Schuster, 1962) • Children at the Gate (Chatto & Windus, 1968) • – sequel to The L-Shaped Room • Two is Lonely (Chatto & Windus, 1974) – completes the L-Shaped Room trilogy • Dark Quartet: the story of the Brontës (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1976); US ed., 1977 – Biographical fiction •; US ed., 1978 • Defy the Wilderness (Chatto & Windus, 1981) • The Warning Bell (Hamish Hamilton, 1984); US ed., 1986 • Casualties (1986); US ed., 1987 • Fair Exchange (Piatkus, 1998)

* • Torn Country: an oral history of the Israeli war of independence (New York: Franklin Watts, 1982)

The authorities additionally record the headings Belinda Reid Banks and Belinda Gillian Reid Banks. Her recorded language was English. She was the child of Muriel Alexander. She married Chaim Stephenson.

Lynne Reid Banks is recorded as writer, novelist, reporter and actress.