Grizel Niven
| Grizel Niven | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Grizel Rosemary Graham Niven 28 November 1906 Belgravia, London, England |
| Died | 28 January 2007 (aged 100) |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Notable work | Bessie, the award that is given to recipients of the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction |
Grizel Rosemary Graham Niven (28 November 1906 – 28 January 2007) was an English sculptor. She created the bronze sculpture, the Bessie, which has been given to the winner of the annual Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction since its inception in 1996.
Early life
Grizel Niven was born in Belgravia, London in 1906, the daughter of William Edward Graham Niven and Henriette Julia Degacher. Her younger brother was the actor and writer David Niven.
Career
Niven, in collaboration with Paul Clinton, was awarded a prize for one the six best designs in an international competition for the memorial sculpture at the Dachau Concentration Camp, a prize eventually won by Nandor Glid (the son of parents murdered in Auschwitz) in 1967.[1][2]
Niven heard Kate Mosse talking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour about setting up a Women’s Prize for Fiction, and telephoned to offer a cast of a sculpture of hers as a prize.[3][4] The 3ft high original stood in her garden in Jubilee Place, Chelsea, London.[5][6] The bronze Bessie figurine itself is 7.5 inches high.[7]
Personal life
Niven was a lesbian.[8] She died on 28 January 2007, aged 100.[9][10]
References
- ↑ James Edward Young (1993). The Texture of Memory: Holocaust Memorials and Meaning. Yale University Press. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-0-300-05991-5. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ↑ Architectural Association Journal. The Association. 1960. p. 216. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ↑ Salter, Jessica. "The world of Kate Mosse, author". Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ The Europa Directory of Literary Awards and Prizes. Routledge. 22 December 2015. p. 314. ISBN 978-1-135-35631-6. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ↑ "My haven: Kate Mosse the bestselling novelist, 51, in her study at the West Sussex home she shares with husband Greg". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ "NIVEN - LONDON - BritishPhoneBook.com - British Phone Book - UK Phone Book - United Kingdom Directory Enquiries - Phone Directory - Residential Numbers - British Telecom". British Phone Book. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ "BAILEYS Women's Prize for Fiction » FAQs". Womensprizeforfiction.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ "He had charm, but not to spare". Telegraph. 2003-11-24. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ "Grizel NIVEN". Thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
- ↑ "Grizel Niven (1907-2007)".