P.L. Travers

Pelham Lyndon Travers, also known as P.L. Travers, was an Australian-English author, born on August 9, 1899, in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia. She was born as Helen Lyndon Goff and later adopted the pen name P.L. Travers. Travers was a versatile personality who excelled as a novelist, actress, and journalist. She is best known for her creation of the magical English nanny, Mary Poppins, in a series of children's books that became a worldwide phenomenon.

Travers was born to Travers Robert Goff, a bank manager, and Margaret Agnes. After her father's death when she was seven, Travers developed an interest in mythology and folklore, which later influenced her writing. Travers began her career as a writer while still a teenager, publishing poems in various publications. She also gained recognition as an actress and toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company. In 1924, Travers moved to England, where she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P.L. Travers. She met several Irish poets, including George William Russell and William Butler Yeats, who fostered her interest in world mythology. Travers's writing was also influenced by the mystic Gurdjieff, who had a significant impact on several literary figures.

Travers's first literary success came in 1934 with the publication of Mary Poppins, the first of the Poppins books. The book was an instant success, and five sequels followed, along with other novels, poetry collections, and works of non-fiction. The Disney musical adaptation of Mary Poppins, released in 1964, was primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books. Although Travers was an adviser to the production, she disapproved of the dilution of Mary Poppins's character and the use of animation. Travers was known for her fiercely independent personality and strong-will, which helped her achieve success in the male-dominated literary world. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977 and died in London in 1996. Despite her fame, Travers never married and adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.