Opie, Iona (1923–)
Opie, Iona (1923–)
British author and authority on children's literature and lore. Born Iona Archibald, Oct 13, 1923, in Colchester, England; dau. of Sir Robert George Archibald (pathologist) and Olive (Cant) Archibald; m. Peter Opie (author and folklorist), Sept 2, 1943 (died Feb 5, 1982); children: James, Robert and Letitia Opie.
With husband, began a collaborative project on origins of nursery rhymes that would occupy them for next 40 years (1943); published Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951), followed by The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book (1955) and The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (1959); served as author and host of a series, The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, on the BBC; also collected children's books, comics, toys, games and educational aids; following husband's death (1982), donated more than 20,000 vols. of children's books to Bodleian Library; published The Treasures of Childhood: Books, Toys and Games from the Opie Collection (1989). Joint winner with husband of Coote Lake Research Medal (1960), European Prize of City of Caorle (Italy, 1964), and Chicago Folklore Prize (1970); was May Hill Arbuthnot Lecturer (1991).
See also Women in World History.