Full Name: Helen Lyndon Goff
Profession: Writer
Biography: P. L. Travers is best known for creating the beloved character Mary Poppins. She wrote eight children's novels about the magical nanny which were published between 1934 and 1988.
Travers—born Helen Lyndon Goff in Queensland, Australia—had a difficult childhood, including losing her father at age seven. As a teenager, Goff began publishing poems and briefly worked as a Shakespearean actress under the stage name "Pamela Lyndon Travers" before emigrating to England at 24.
In London, Travers continued writing. She published the first Mary Poppins novel in 1934 which soon became a success. Walt Disney spent 20 years pursuing the film rights, which Travers agreed to sell in 1961. She disliked the 1964 film "Mary Poppins," however—particularly the animated sequences.
At 40, Travers, who never married, adopted an Irish boy named Camillus, through whom she ultimately had three grandchildren.
Born: August 9, 1899
Birthplace: Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
Generation: Lost Generation
Star Sign: Leo
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