Ruth Adam
Encyclopedia
Ruth Augusta Adam, née King (1907-1977), feminist writer, was born on 14 December 1907 in Arnold, Nottinghamshire
, daughter of a Church of England vicar. She attended St Elphin's girls' boarding school in Darley Dale
, Derbyshire
, from 1920 to 1925, before becoming a teacher in elementary schools in impoverished mining areas of Nottinghamshire
. In 1932 she married Kenneth Adam
, a journalist on the Manchester Guardian and later director of BBC television
. They had four children: three sons and one daughter, the journalist Corinna Adam.
Her first novel, I'm Not Complaining (1938), depicted women's lives in the Depression from the point of view of an unmarried female teacher. She worked for the Ministry of Information during the Second World War, and wrote radio scripts, including some for Woman's Hour
, which started on BBC radio in 1946. From 1944 to 1976 she wrote the women's page for the Church of England Newspaper
, which expressed her position as a Christian socialist feminist. One such article, "Comics and Shockers" in 1948, put her on the same page as Marcus Morris, whose religious ideals and concerns about the influence of American comics led him to launch Eagle
in 1950, and Girl
the following year. Adam wrote strips for Girl, in which she attempted to counteract the passiveness of many girls' heroines by introducing young female characters who were resourceful, brave and clever. Her best-known strip was "Susan of St. Bride's" (1954-61), about a student nurse, who also featured in spin-off novels written by Adam. She also wrote "Lindy Love" (1954-55), about a girl just out of school who has to care for her family, drawn by Peter Kay.
In 1955 she and Peggy Jay
founded the Fisher Group, a think-tank advising governments on social policy. She wrote twelve novels, including two about girls in care, Fetch Her Away (1954) and Look Who's Talking (1960), and A House in the Country (1957), a comic novel based on her family's attempt to live in a commune, as well as biographies of George Bernard Shaw
and Beatrice Webb
, the latter co-written with Kitty Muggeridge. The 1951 film The Quiet Woman
was based on a story by Adam, and Look Who's Talking was adapted for television as part of the BBC's Studio 4 series in 1962. Her final book, A Woman's Place: 1910-1975, a social history
of women in the 20th century, was published in 1975. She died at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, Marylebone, London, on 3 February 1977.
Arnold, Nottinghamshire
Arnold is a suburb of Nottingham, England. It is to the north-east of the city boundary, and is in the local government district of Gedling. It has only had a market since 1968, and had a number of factories associated with the hosiery industry...
, daughter of a Church of England vicar. She attended St Elphin's girls' boarding school in Darley Dale
Darley Dale
Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 6,000 people. It lies north of Matlock, on the River Derwent and the A6 road.- History :...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, from 1920 to 1925, before becoming a teacher in elementary schools in impoverished mining areas of Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. In 1932 she married Kenneth Adam
Kenneth Adam
Kenneth Adam CBE was an English journalist and broadcasting executive, who from 1957 until 1961 served as the Controller of the BBC Television Service.-Education:...
, a journalist on the Manchester Guardian and later director of BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
. They had four children: three sons and one daughter, the journalist Corinna Adam.
Her first novel, I'm Not Complaining (1938), depicted women's lives in the Depression from the point of view of an unmarried female teacher. She worked for the Ministry of Information during the Second World War, and wrote radio scripts, including some for Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour
Woman's Hour is a radio magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.-History:Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by Alan Ivimey the programme was first broadcast on 7 October 1946 on the BBC's Light Programme . It was transferred to its current home in 1973...
, which started on BBC radio in 1946. From 1944 to 1976 she wrote the women's page for the Church of England Newspaper
Church of England Newspaper
The Church of England Newspaper is an independent Anglican weekly newspaper. It is published in the United Kingdom on Fridays.The Church of England Newspaper was founded in 1828 and is notable as the earliest Church paper, and one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation. It is independent...
, which expressed her position as a Christian socialist feminist. One such article, "Comics and Shockers" in 1948, put her on the same page as Marcus Morris, whose religious ideals and concerns about the influence of American comics led him to launch Eagle
Eagle (comic)
Eagle was a seminal British children's comic, first published from 1950 to 1969, and then in a relaunched format from 1982 to 1994. It was founded by Marcus Morris, an Anglican vicar from Lancashire. Morris edited a parish magazine called The Anvil, but felt that the church was not communicating...
in 1950, and Girl
Girl (comic)
Girl was a weekly comic for girls published from 1951 to 1964. It was launched by Hulton Press on 2 November 1951 as a sister paper to the Eagle, and lasted through Hultons' acquisition by Odhams Press in 1959 and Odhams' merger into IPC in 1963. Its final issue was dated 3 October 1964, after...
the following year. Adam wrote strips for Girl, in which she attempted to counteract the passiveness of many girls' heroines by introducing young female characters who were resourceful, brave and clever. Her best-known strip was "Susan of St. Bride's" (1954-61), about a student nurse, who also featured in spin-off novels written by Adam. She also wrote "Lindy Love" (1954-55), about a girl just out of school who has to care for her family, drawn by Peter Kay.
In 1955 she and Peggy Jay
Peggy Jay
Margaret Christian "Peggy" Garnett Jay was an English Labour councillor.As a young girl, Peggy Garnett attended St Paul's Girls' School in London, where she befriended Shiela Grant Duff. In 1931, she went up to Somerville College, Oxford, but she left two years later to marry Douglas Jay...
founded the Fisher Group, a think-tank advising governments on social policy. She wrote twelve novels, including two about girls in care, Fetch Her Away (1954) and Look Who's Talking (1960), and A House in the Country (1957), a comic novel based on her family's attempt to live in a commune, as well as biographies of George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
and Beatrice Webb
Beatrice Webb
Martha Beatrice Webb, Lady Passfield was an English sociologist, economist, socialist and social reformer. Although her husband became Baron Passfield in 1929, she refused to be known as Lady Passfield...
, the latter co-written with Kitty Muggeridge. The 1951 film The Quiet Woman
The Quiet Woman
The Quiet Woman is a 1951 British crime film directed by John Gilling. It starred Derek Bond, Jane Hylton, Campbell Singer and Dora Bryan. The former wife of a criminal moves to a coastal town and takes over the running of a bar known as The Quiet Woman. She becomes outraged when she discovers the...
was based on a story by Adam, and Look Who's Talking was adapted for television as part of the BBC's Studio 4 series in 1962. Her final book, A Woman's Place: 1910-1975, a social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
of women in the 20th century, was published in 1975. She died at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, Marylebone, London, on 3 February 1977.
Selected Works
- I'm Not Complaining (1938) (Reprinted by irago] in 1983)
- Fetch Her Away (1954)
- House in the Country (1957)
- Look Who's Talking (1960)
- Beatrice Webb: A Life 1858-1943 (with Kitty Muggeridge, 1967)
- A Woman's Place: 1910-1975 (1975) (Reprinted by Persephone BooksPersephone BooksPersephone Books is an independent publisher based in Bloomsbury, London. Founded in 1999 by Nicola Beauman, Persephone has a catalogue of 93 "neglected novels, diaries, poetry, short stories, non-fiction, biography and cookery books, mostly by women and mostly dating from the early to...
in 2000)