Inside the New Biography of P. L. Travers by Elisabeth Galvin

I am very excited to share my conversation with Elisabeth Galvin about her upcoming biography of P. L. Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins. This time, our conversation takes place in video form, a medium I avoided for a long time but have now come to accept as one I need to embrace. 

In this interview, which I am sharing below, Elisabeth and I explore what first drew her to Travers, her research process, and the unexpected material she uncovered while tracing the life of a writer who has fascinated readers for generations. 

We also talk about the people she met along the way who knew Travers personally, and how their memories and stories brought new texture and meaning to this biography. Travers’s complexity is portrayed in a gentle and respectful way, as Elisabeth is keenly aware of the responsibility that comes with writing a biography and of the difficulty of portraying with care and honesty a person one has never met. Elisabeth’s writing is also deeply atmospheric, carrying the reader through an almost visual experience of time and place. It is a delightful read, and I sincerely hope this book finds its way into the hands of many readers. 

There is an additional reason for my excitement. I had the honor of writing the introduction to this biography, as well as an entire chapter on Travers’s spiritual beliefs, a subject very dear to my heart. I have been immersed in the world of Travers and Mary Poppins for over ten years, and I am convinced there is still much left to uncover. Travers lived a long and productive creative life, yet today she is often remembered only for Mary Poppins. I believe she is an author worth rediscovering. I also believe she was truthful when she said she did not write Mary Poppins with children in mind, and that these stories continue to hold important lessons for adult readers. 

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Elisabeth Galvin, and that you will consider subscribing to The Mary Poppins Effect for more reflections and stories exploring the world of Mary Poppins and its connections to other literary worlds.