Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time

Front cover of the book A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine LEngle. Showing the silhouette’s of the three principle characters (In order, top-to-bottom: Charles Murry, Calvin OKeefe, and Margaret Murry). Each silhouette is surrounded by radiating concentric circles. The cover also bears a gold John Newberry Medal that reads: For the Most Distinguished contribution to American Literature for children. Awarded Annually by the Childrens Librarians Section of the American Library Association.

Madeleine L'Engle Camp Franklin, whose pen name was Madeleine L'Engle, was born in New York City on November 29, 1918.  After an active career as a theater actress in the 1940’s, L’Engle spent the majority of the 1950’s focused on writing and raising a family in Connecticut.  After failing to sell her work for many years, and vowing to give up writing altogether, L’Engle’s work began to sell.  In 1963, her novel A Wrinkle in Time won the Newbery Award.  The novel has maintained popularity with readers since its publication. 

In the 1973, L’Engle made her first of several donations of manuscripts and materials to the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collections.  Her donations include original manuscripts for A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, and other novels and writings.  The collection also contains correspondence from L'Engle to the de Grummond Collection; material relating to awards and honors, including L'Engle's acceptance speech of the University of Southern Mississippi's Medallion in 1978 entitled "The Freedom of Service in the Life of a Writer"; and material for nine titles published between 1951 and 1976. 

To learn more about the Madeleine L’Engle Papers, visit the 3rd floor of McCain Library or contact Ellen Ruffin, the curator of the de Grummond Collection, at or 601.266.6543.

 

Text by Andrew Rhodes, Special Collections Specialist