Joyce Lankester Brisley (6 February 1896 – 1978) was an English writer. She wrote and illustrated the Milly-Molly-Mandy series, which were first printed in 1925 by the Christian Science Monitor.

Early life, family and education

The second of three daughters of George Brisley, a pharmacist, of Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, Brisley's sisters- Ethel Constance, the eldest, and Nina Kennard, the youngest- were also illustrators. They studied art firstly at Hastings School of Art, then, following their parents' divorce in 1912 and the subsequent relocation of the girls and their mother to Brixton, at Lambeth School of Art.

Career

All three sisters illustrated postcards for the publisher Alfred Vivian Mansell & Co., with Nina (who also illustrated Elinor Brent-Dyer's Chalet School series) and Ethel becoming quite prolific. Brisley's books were first printed in 1925, and a collection appeared in book form in 1928. She wrote and illustrated six collections of Milly-Molly-Mandy, amongst other works.

Death

Brisley died in 1978 at the age of 82. She left the J L Brisley Charitable Trust, which provides financial assistance to religious charities in London as specified in her will. The 2022 total expenditure was £5,070.

Publications

Milly-Molly-Mandy Novels (non-series) Collections Non-fiction