Monica Furlong

Monica Furlong
Born	17 January 1930(1930-01-17) Kenton, Greater London, England
Died	14 January 2003(2003-01-14) (aged 72) Umberleigh, Devon, England
Occupation	Author, Writer, Journalist
Nationality	British
Period	1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s
Genres	Nonfiction, Biography
Subjects	Religion, Church of England, Women in Religion
Literary movement	Ordination of Women
Notable work(s)	see below

Monica Furlong (17 January 1930 – 14 January 2003) was a British author, journalist, and activist. She was born at Kenton near Harrow, north-west of London and died at Umberleigh in Devon. An obituary called her the Church of England's "most influential and creative layperson of the post-war period."^[1]

Many of Furlong’s books reflected a deep interest in religion and spirituality. She was especially noted as a biographer, writing about John Bunyan (1975), Thomas Merton (1980), Alan Watts (1986), and Therese of Lisieux (1987). In addition she authored books covering such diverse topics as the spiritual life of aboriginals (1995), medieval women mystics (1996), and the Church of England (2000). She also wrote a popular series of children's novels set in medieval England: Wise Child, Juniper, and Colman. Her autobiography was published in 1995.

Furlong began her writing career as a freelance journalist in the 1950s. She then worked for The Spectator as a regular columnist writing on religious subjects. In 1961 she started writing feature articles for the Daily Mail where she remained for the next seven years.

In the 1960s Furlong became involved in religious reform. In her first book, With Love to the Church (1965), she expressed her beliefs in an inclusive Church and sided with those who felt excluded. She became a supporter of the cause of women in the Anglican Church. In the 1980s she campaigned for the ordination of women and when that goal was reached she called for the appointment of women to senior Church positions.

Books

Adult Non-Fiction

• With Love to the Church (1965) (ISBN 0-340-01956-5)
• Puritan's Progress: A Study of John Bunyan (1975) (ISBN 0-698-10688-1)
• Merton: A Biography (1980) (ISBN 0-06-063079-5)
• Zen Effects: the Life of Alan Watts (1986) (ISBN 0-395-35344-0)
• Therese of Lisieux (1987) (ISBN 0-394-53706-8)
• Birds of Paradise: Glimpses of Living Myth (1995) (ISBN 0-264-67336-0)
• Visions and Longings: Medieval Women Mystics (1996) (ISBN 1-57062-125-X)
• C of E: the State It's in (2000) (ISBN 0-340-69399-1)
• Women Pray: Voices through the Ages, from Many Faiths, Cultures, and Traditions (2004) (ISBN 1594730717)

Children's fiction

Wise Child

• Wise Child (1987) (ISBN 0575040467)
• Juniper (1990) (vt A Year and a Day) (ISBN 0679833692)
• Colman (2004) (ISBN 0375815147)

Stand-alone

• Robin's Country (1994) (ISBN 0241133149)

References

1. ^ Brown, Susan, Patricia Clements, and Isobel Grundy, eds. Monica Furlong entry: Overview screen within Orlando: Women's Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Online, 2006. (Retrieved 2009-08-29.)

External links

• Guardian obituary 17 January 2003 (Retrieved 2009-08-31.)
• Telegraph obituary 16 January 2003 (Retrieved 2009-08-31.)

Persondata
Name	Furlong, Monica
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	17 January 1930
Place of birth	Kenton, Greater London, England
Date of death	14 January 2003
Place of death	Umberleigh, Devon, England