Unpicking the Stitches in Time, or being Charlotte Sometimes
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2019-06-05

Full title: Unpicking the Stitches in Time, or being Charlotte Sometimes: the Haunted Landscapes of Children’s Literature

Travelling in time is a particular theme in 1960s and 1970s children’s literature, associated with haunting landscapes, archaeological sites and historical artefacts. The protagonists are often lonely and removed from their everyday lives through personal or family circumstances. The influences of the place that they find themselves or objects they encounter throw them into the past leading them to experience terrifying adventures or uncover tragic stories. They are either helpless bystanders or given a direct role in the action. These periods of time travel can be foreshadowed by ghostly apparitions and unexplained sounds. Landscape is a key element of these stories frequently reflecting the isolation of the main characters, from bleak coastland to a deserted village hidden in woodland. This paper will touch on other authors but focus particularly on the work of Robert Westall and Penelope Lively.

Krystyna Truscoe (University of Reading)

TAG Deva 2018
Session: Haunt This Place: Fantasy, Archaeology, and the Ghosts of the Land