Mollie Panter-Downes
Introduction Mollie Panter-Downes'''Mary Patricia "Mollie" Panter-Downes''' (25 August 1906 – 22 January 1997) was a British novelist and columnist for ''The New Yorker''. Aged sixteen, she wrote ''The Shoreless Sea'' which became a bestseller and was serialised in ''The Daily Mirror''. Her second novel ''The Chase'' was published in 1925.
Early life and education Panter-Downes was born to Major Edward Martin Panter-Downes (died 1914 at Mons) and Marie Kathleen Cowley who was of Irish origin.
Career In 1922, aged sixteen, Panter-Downes wrote ''The Shoreless Sea'' which became a bestseller; eight editions were published in 1923 and 1924, and the book was serialised in The Daily Mirror. Her second novel ''The Chase'' was published in 1925.In 1938, Panter-Downes began writing for ''The New Yorker'', first a series of short stories, and from September 1939, a column entitled ''Letter from London'', which she wrote until 1984.The collected columns were later published as ''Letters from England'' (1940) and ''London War Notes'' (1972).Panter-Downes visited Ootacamund, in India, and wrote about the town, known to all as Ooty, in her ''New Yorker'' columns. This material was later published as ''Ooty Preserved''.
Death Panter-Downes married Clare Robinson in 1927 and the couple moved to Surrey.She died in Compton, Surrey, aged 90.
Publications ===Selected works===*''The Shoreless Sea'' (1923)*''The Chase'' (1925)*''Storm Bird'' (1929)*''My Husband Simon'' (1931)*''One Fine Day'' (1947)*''Minnie's Room'' (short stories collected between 1947–1965)*''Good Evening, Mrs Craven'' (short stories collected between 1938–1944)*''Ooty Preserved: A Victorian Hill Station in India'' (1967)*''At The Pines'' (later life of Swinburne) (1971)===Republished by Persephone Books===*''London War Notes'' (wartime letters written for ''The New Yorker'') Republished in 2014 by Persephone Books*''Minnie's Room'' (Short stories collected between 1947–1965) Republished in 2002 by Persephone Books*''Good Evening, Mrs Craven'' (short stories collected between 1938–1944) Republished in 1999 by Persephone BooksThe last short story in ''Minnie's Room'', called "The Empty Place" and written in 1965, has a character called Harry Potter.
References ===Sources===** The Independent,  Obituary, Mollie Panter Downes (Mrs C. Robinson)*  Encyclopedia.com*  Who's Who
Further reading *  Biographical information at persephonebooks.co.uk