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Frances Hardinge delivered the Philippa Pearce Lecture to a packed auditorium on April 18th at Homerton College, University of Cambridge.

Are books too scary? Can we iron out the monsters? Should we face the monsters alone?

Some of the questions which Frances eloquently suggested to the audience, why do we think children should not be given answers, but left with the monster lurking, when we just want them to be safe and not to think about scary things?

Frances’s novels, which include The Lie Tree, The Cuckoo Song and A Skinful of Shadows are full of shadows and half glimpsed faces, things which in the dark are scary. Adults tend to come in and put on the light and explain that there is nothing to be scared of, but when the light goes out, Frances explained that the scary monster is back. Frances recalled how she had first read The Shadow Cage by Philippa Pearce and it had struck a deep chord.

Children’s fiction has a wealth of unseen things, some are cowed and shrouded, faceless and use of nonsense words and vague descriptions, for example the Jabberwocky the work of Lewis Carroll. In Victorian children’s books, Frances explained that monsters would be used to impose sanctions, e.g. the monster will get you. Stormtroopers of fear and imagination, the use of cautionary tales.

In today’s world of books for children there is a wealth of material which brings in darkness and scariness, the fear and the imagination of children and young people, for example, Harry Potter and the dementors. We can try to iron out the monsters, we can offer daytime explanations but there remains some uncanny gravitas which no electric light bulb can help!

Frances also pointed out that all children’s authors are adult but maybe it is the inner-self that is still part of the childhood.

A thought-provoking lecture and Frances Hardinge gave an excellent informative journey through the materials on the dark side.

Francis Hardinge at Homerton College, Cambridge to deliver the 2018 Philipp Pearce Lecture

Sue Martin

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The Philippa Pearce Lecture celebrates its tenth anniversary with a lecture by children’s author Frances Hardinge.

Thursday,19th April, 2018 at 5.00 pm – The Mary Allen Building, Homerton College, Cambridge, CB2 8PH.

Frances’ highly acclaimed children’s novels include Fly By Night, Twilight Robbery, the Carnegie-shortlisted Cuckoo Song and Costa Book of the Year winner, The Lie Tree.

Image credit: David Henson. Frances Hardinge, London, 2009

Frances’ lecture, entitled “Peopling the Dark“, will explore unseen and half-seen figures of menace and malice in Philippa Pearce’s The Shadow Cage and other children’s literature.

This prestigious annual lecture at Homerton College, University of Cambridge is a highlight of the literary calendar for a wide-ranging audience of academics, writers, illustrators, publishers, teachers, students and other lovers of children’s literature.

The lecture offers a unique platform for the very best children’s authors, poets and illustrators to reflect on their art. Always thought-provoking as well as entertaining, the lectures have tackled such topics as the implications of exposing children to fear, and what poetry is for, and the place of digital technologies in children’s literature.

Following the inaugural lecture and tribute to Philippa Pearce in 2008, the line-up of speakers has included Michael Rosen, Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo, Malorie Blackman, Kevin Crossley-Holland, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Meg Rosoff, Allan Ahlberg and Chris Riddell.

The event is held in association with Homerton College, Cambridge, and is part of the College’s 250^th anniversary celebrations:

The lectures were established in 2007 by the family, friends and colleagues of the distinguished children’s author, Philippa Pearce. Her children’s novels include the well-loved classic, Tom’s Midnight Garden (Carnegie Medal, winner,1958).

Exploring concepts of time, connections between past and present, and relationships between children and parents, all convey a sense of the East Anglian landscape where Philippa’s family had lived for generations, and where she spent most of her life. As Philip Pullman said, “She was one of the very finest writers British children’s literature has ever had.”

The Tenth Anniversary Philippa Pearce Lecture, Thursday, 19 April at 5.00 pm, in the Mary Allen Building, Homerton College, Cambridge. A wine reception follows. Tickets are free but do book in advance.

An event not to be missed.

Sue Martin

Category: Homerton College

The 2018 Philippa Pearce Lecture- Peopling The Dark – Frances Hardinge

The Philippa Pearce Lecture Tenth Anniversary, with Frances Hardinge