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Surinamese British author (1927–2019) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Petronella Breinburg (1927 – 5 November 2019) was a Surinamese British author, playwright and professor and one of the first black British authors to write picture books about black children.[1][2] My Brother Sean, illustrated by Errol Lloyd and published by The Bodley Head in 1973, was followed by a series, including Sean Goes to School, Sean's Red Bike and Doctor Sean.[3][4][5] She also wrote books focused on older children, including her first book Legend of Suriname, Us Boys of Westcroft and Stories from the Caribbean.[3][6] Her early books, published at a time where black authored books were rare, provided one of the first opportunities for black children in Britain to read stories they could identify with.[7]
Petronella Breinburg | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Petronella Alexandrina Breinburg[1] 1927 |
| Died | (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Children's book author, playwright, educator |
| Nationality | Surinamese British |
| Education | University of Keele |
| Notable works | My Brother Sean (1973) |
Breinburg, of mixed European and African heritage, was born in Suriname in 1927.[8][9] Her father, a policeman, died when she was 12 and the family – there were six children – went to live with her grandmother, near an old Dutch plantation. This grandmother used to terrify the children with tales about the old Dutchman who had owned the plantation.[10]
Influenced by a lineage of storytellers, Breinburg enjoyed writing from a young age, winning local competitions from the age of eight and writing her first play at 13.[11] She was educated at St. Rosa and St. Margaret's Convent in Suriname, before training as a teacher.[12]
After emigrating to Guyana with her husband, she gave birth to two children.[12] In Guyana, she was a member of the Red Cross Society for 10 years, serving for some time as Lieutenant of the Girls Life Brigade.[12] She came to the UK with her two children to join her husband in 1961.[13] Breinburg was a supply teacher in London, where her experience of racism and representation shaped her writing.[6][12]
Breinburg obtained her doctorate in education with linguistics at University of Keele, with one year at Amsterdam University and a stint as a research fellow at the linguistic department of the University of Sheffield.[14][15] She was then appointed to Goldsmiths' University of London, where she was a senior lecturer and head of the Caribbean Centre.[16] Breinburg published books for children, teenagers, and for adults.[17] She also wrote a number of plays and poetry.[12][18]
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