Category: Sutcliff not Sutcliffe

Rosemary’s family name is Sutcliff without an ‘E’, not Sutcliffe (sic). Here are posts about attempts to get people to spell her name correctly, and to put right mistakes.

One more time publishers, newspapers and all | It’s Rosemary Sutcliff (sic), not Sutcliffe with an E!

Anthony Lawton2 Comments

Folio Society edition of Rosemary SutcliffHere we go, or went, again – a publisher or newspaper spelling Rosemary Sutcliff’s name correctly: it is not, as avid readers of Rosemary Sutcliff (sic) and keen followers of this blog know well, Rosemary Sutcliffe with an E! The culprit this time? It was the Folio Society, which publishes beautiful editions of several of her books (The Lantern Bearers, for example, pictured above) . On their biography page – correctly headed Rosemary Sutcliff – they managed six Sutcliffes in as many paragraphs (and one Sutcliff); but they have now corrected that. How could they get it so wrong?

But do not let my grumbling put you off: if you can afford them, these editions are wonderful gifts, and a joy to read and own.

The Lantern Bearers, The Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch by Rosemary Sutcliff, Folio Editions

More examples of writing Rosemary Sutcliff as Sutcliffe

Rosemary Sutcliff’s cousin Jack, briefly mentioned in her memoir Blue Remembered Hills, was Air Marshall Sir John Slessor

Anthony Lawton3 Comments

Air Marshal Sir John Slessor, cousin of Rosemary Sutcliff

A Google alert for “Rosemary Sutcliffe” (wrong spelling, there is no E in Sutcliff of Rosemary Sutcliff, but too many get it wrong …) thew up an intriguing snippet today about one  Air Marshall Sir John Slessor, a cousin of Rosemary Sutcliff (sic):

Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Cotesworth (Jack) Slessor GCB, DSO, MC (3 June 1897 – 12 July 1979) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). A pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, he held operational commands in World War II and served in the RAF’s most senior post, Chief of the Air Staff, from 1950 to 1952. He was considered a strong proponent of strategic bombing and the nuclear deterrent, and published several books, including an autobiography. He was a cousin of the children’s author Rosemary Sutcliffe who mentions “cousin Jack’s” depression at being turned down for the Army in her memoir Blue Remembered Hills.

I am left wondering if he writes anything about Rosemary Sutcliff in his autobiography. Anyone got access, who can find out?

  • Source of above quote here.
  • Other mis-spellings of Rosemary Sutcliff as Rosemary Sutcliffe (sic) here.

“No-one could ever give Rosemary Sutcliff an E. Only ever an A+!” | Katy Moran

Anthony Lawton1 Comment

There are various posts on this blog about spelling Sutcliff (sic) without an E. I have been on one of my trawls through twitter for the rogue E, as in Sutcliffe.  The mistake is not only in occasional tweets  – even sometimes her own publishers get it wrong. However,  I just love a  tweet today in response to one of my nudges. Thank you Katy Moran!

Macmillan Children’s Books apologise in retrospect for mis-spelling Rosemary Sutcliff with an E

Anthony LawtonLeave a comment

I have been on  Sutcliff (sic) spelling watch chasing people, especially publishers, who seem to think that Sutcliff is spelt with a terminal ‘e’ – as twitterer @perlineamvalli puts it. I must however have got out of bed particularly crabby today, hence a particular twitter exchange!Read More »