Beryl Irene Irving

24 October 1896 — 15 October 1965

Author, illustrator, and broadcaster. Creator of The Dawnchild.

Sketch by Beryl Irving of her husband, 1920s
A sketch of her husband, Lt-Cmdr John Irving, drawn by Beryl in the 1920s

Beryl Irene Newington was born on 24 October 1896 at St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, the daughter of Captain Charles Newington, formerly of the Indian Army, and his wife Frances (née Dolman). She became an accomplished illustrator, author, and broadcaster whose work spanned children's literature, periodical illustration, and book design over four decades.

She married Lieutenant-Commander John James Cawdell Irving, R.N., on 18 November 1921 at Rushbrooke, County Cork, Ireland.

The Dawnchild (1926)

Beryl Irving is best known for her children's book The Dawnchild, published by Faber & Gwyer in 1926. The story follows lonely orphaned Mignonette ("Mig"), aged seven, who is rescued from her unhappy life by the mysterious Dawnchild. Together they set out on a journey to Dawnland, chased by the evil Cousin Belinda and an army of Umpis. It is a child's "road to discovery" tale with a strong moral content, gently told.

The book was illustrated by Beryl herself in a style that the Dictionary of British Book Illustrators: The 20th Century described as recalling "the work of Jessie M. King." The children's author Vivian French later called it "a truly amazing fantasy story" and named it among her favourite books. Three different styles can be detected in Beryl's body of work: some executed "in the manner of A.K. MacDonald," others likened to Jessie M. King, and her animal drawings compared to those of the Victorian artist Ernest Griset.

The book inspired devoted readers for generations. One wrote in 2007: "This is the best fairy story ever written … it's an exciting adventure about a little girl's journey to find the happiness she longs for. I read it over and over when I was a child and still read it occasionally now." Another described how her grandmother had bought a copy in the late 1920s and it had been passed down through every generation of mothers and daughters since.

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Other Books

Illustration Work

Beyond her own books, Beryl was a prolific illustrator for periodicals and other authors. She contributed drawings and plates to:

She also illustrated numerous books by other authors, many in the popular "Week-End Book" series published by Seeley Service:

Broadcasting

Beryl was also a writer and broadcaster for the BBC, contributing to Woman's Hour on the BBC Home Service.

Artistic Style

The Dictionary of British Book Illustrators noted that Beryl's later work "consists of mainly small drawings, executed rather in the manner of A.K. MacDonald," using a delicate line with unrendered, unshaded areas — particularly backgrounds and background characters — to focus the eye on the main subject of the illustration.

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Personal Life

Beryl and her husband John had four children between 1930 and 1938: their eldest son John, daughter Jennifer Caroline ("Carol," born 22 September 1935 at Dunton, Essex), and twins David and Nicholas (born 24 March 1938 at Hutton, Essex). Jennifer went on to work on the staff of Look and Learn magazine in the mid-1960s. David became the historian and author David Irving.

Beryl Irene Irving died on 15 October 1965, near Chipping Ongar, Essex, nine days before what would have been her sixty-ninth birthday.

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