M. M. Kaye
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Mary Margaret ('Mollie') Kaye (August 21, 1908 - January 29, 2004) was a British writer. Her most famous book was The Far Pavilions (1978).
[edit] Life
M. M. Kaye was born in India and spent her early childhood and much of her early-married life there. Her family ties with the country are strong: her grandfather, father, brother and husband all served the British Raj and her grandfather's cousin, Sir John Kaye, wrote the standard accounts of the Sepoy Mutiny and the First Afghan War. After India's independence, her husband, Major-General Goff Hamilton of Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides (the famous Indian Army regiment featured in The Far Pavilions), joined the British Army and for the next nineteen years M. M. Kaye followed the drum to Kenya, Zanzibar, Egypt, Cyprus and Germany.
M. M. Kaye won worldwide fame for The Far Pavilions, which became a worldwide best-seller on publication in 1978. This was followed by Shadow of the Moon and Trade Wind. She also wrote and illustrated The Ordinary Princess, a children's book and authored a dozen detective novels, including Death in Kashmir and Death in Zanzibar. Her autobiography has been published in three volumes, collectively entitled Share of Summer: The Sun in the Morning, Golden Afternoon, and Enchanted Evening. In March 2003, M. M. Kaye was awarded the Colonel James Tod International Award by the Maharana Mewar Foundation of Udaipur, Rajasthan, for her "contribution of permanent value reflecting the spirit and values of Mewar".
[edit] Works
[edit] Autobiography: Share of Summer
[edit] Historical Novels
[edit] Suspense Novels: The Death in... Series
- Death in the Andamans (originally published as Night on the Island) 1960, revised in 1985
- Death in Berlin (originally published as Death Walked in Berlin) 1955, revised in 1985
- Death in Cyprus (originally published as Death Walked in Cyprus) 1956, revised in 1984
- Death in Kashmir (originally published as Death Walked in Kashmir) 1953, revised in 1984
- Death in Kenya (originally published as Later Than You Think 1958 and It's Later Than You Think) 1960, revised in 1983
- Death in Zanzibar (originally published as The House of Shade) 1959, revised in 1983
[edit] Other Novels
- Six Bars at Seven 1940 - writing as Mollie Kaye **M M Kaye's first novel**
- Strange Island 1944 - writing as Mollie Kaye (original version of Night on the Island)
- Wound of Spring 1961, unpublished
- Far Pavilions Picture Book 1979
[edit] Children's Stories
- Black Bramble Wood 1938 - writing as Mollie Kaye, illustrated by Margaret Tempest
- Gold Gorse Common 1945 - writing as Mollie Kaye, illustrated by Margaret Tempest
- The Ordinary Princess 1980 - written and illustrated by M M Kaye
- Potter Pinner Meadow 1937 - writing as Mollie Kaye, illustrated by Margaret Tempest
- Thistledown 1981 - written and illustrated by M M Kaye
- Willow Witches Brook 1944 - writing as Mollie Kaye, illustrated by Margaret Tempest
[edit] Children's Stories Illustrated (but not written) by M M Kaye
- Adventures in a Caravan by Mrs A C Osborn 1950
- Children of Galilee by Lydia S Eliott 1950
- The Cranstons at Sandly Bay by Phyllis I Norris 1949
- The Story of Saint Francis of Assisi by E W Grierson 1950
- The Two Pins by C B Poultney 1949
[edit] Radio Plays
- England Awakes - a one act play, broadcast on All India Radio c. 1940
- A series of playlets based on the war news - broadcast on All India Radio c. 1940
[edit] Books Edited or Introduced by M M Kaye
- Complete Verse by Rudyard Kipling 1990
- Costumes and Characters of the British Raj 1982 by Evelyn Battye
- Golden Calm by Emily, Lady Clive Bayley and Sir Thomas Metcalfe 1980
- Making of The Jewel in the Crown 1983 Various contributors including M M Kaye
- Moon of Other Days - Selected Verses by Rudyard Kipling 1988 [ Paintings by George Sharp ] (sketches and watercolors by M M Kaye)
- Original Letters from India: 1779-1815 by Eliza Fay 1986
- Picking Up Gold & Silver - Selected Short Stories by Rudyard Kipling 1989
- Simla - The Summer Capital of British India by Raja Bhasin 1992
[edit] Television Series
- The Far Pavilions 1984 (Also released in cinemas as Blade of Steel)
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- Transmitted in the UK by Channel 4 on 3 January 1984, 8 October 1985 and 7 February 1988
- Cast:
- Ben Cross - Ashton 'Ash' Pelham-Martyn
- Amy Irving - Princess Anjuli
- Christopher Lee - Kaka-ji Rao
- Benedict Taylor - Wally
- Rossano Brazzi - Rana of Bhithor
- Saeed Jaffrey - Biju Ram
- Robert Hardy - Commandant
- Sneh Gupta - Shushila
- Omar Sharif - Koda Dad
- John Gielgud - Major Sir Louis Cavagnari
- Jennifer Kendal - Mrs. Viccary
- Felicity Dean - Belinda Harlowe
- Peter Arne - General
- Adam Bareham - Jenkins
- Caterina Boratto - Mrs. Chiverton
- The Ordinary Princess 1984
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- Transmitted in the UK by the BBC as part of its weekly Jackanory series for children
[edit] Musicals
- The Far Pavilions (opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, on 24 Mar 2005)
- Cast:
- Kabir Bedi - Koda Dad Khan Sahib
- David Burt - Lieutenant Harkness
- Hadley Fraser - Ashton Pelham-Martyn
- Kulvinder Ghir - Maharana of Bhithor
- Simon Gleeson - Lt. Walter Hamilton
- Sophiya Haque - Janoo Rani
- Gayatri Iyer - Princess Anjuli
- Fiona Wade - Princess Anjuli
- Dianne Pilkington - Belinda
- David Savile - Sir Louis Cavagnari