Hawkins, (Helena Ann) Quail 1905-2002
HAWKINS, (Helena Ann) Quail 1905-2002
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born March 29, 1905, in Spokane, WA; died August 16, 2002, in Pacific Grove, CA. Bookseller and author. Hawkins was an expert in children's literature who also wrote books for children and young adults. Although she attended the University of California at Berkeley in 1927, she did not receive a degree, but instead worked as a bookseller during the 1920s. She was also briefly on the staff of Publishers Weekly before joining Sather Gate Bookshop in 1931. Starting as a salesperson there, she eventually became head of the adult and juvenile departments. From 1954 to 1961 she worked in sales for the University of California Press before returning to Sather Gate Bookshop as a consultant on library services and book fairs. Hawkins enjoyed visiting schools and libraries and promoting children's literature; she also encouraged now-famous authors, such as Ursula K. LeGuin and Beverly Cleary to pursue writing careers. Among her own books are A Puppy for Keeps (1943), The Aunt-Sitter (1958), and her retelling of Androcles and the Lion (1970). In 1963 Hawkins also wrote material on children's literature for the Encyclopedia Britannica.
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
books
Ward, Martha E., and others, Authors of Books forYoung People, Scarecrow Press (Metuchen, NJ), 1990.
periodicals
Los Angeles Times, August 29, 2002, p. B15.
New York Times, August 27, 2002, p. C13.
San Francisco Chronicle, August 30, 2002, p. A27.