Editing K. M. Peyton (section)

==Career==
As a [[secondary school]] teacher, Peyton started writing young boys' [[adventure novel|adventure stories]] and sold them as [[Serial (literature)|serials]] to ''The Scout'', a magazine owned by [[The Scout Association]].<ref name=":1" /> These stories were later published in full-length.<ref name="Peyton, iii">Peyton, iii.</ref> During this time, she began writing under the name K.M. Peyton—the 'M' represented her husband Mike who helped create the plots of her stories.<ref name="Peyton, iii" /> Peyton soon left her teaching career, in pursuit of becoming a full-time writer.<ref name=":1" /> 

After the birth of two her daughters, Peyton started writing fiction novels and returned to the topic of her "first love"—ponies, horses and [[equestrianism]].<ref name=":1" /> These ideas are explored in the two book series: ''Flambards'' and ''Ruth Hollis''.<ref>Peyton, iv.</ref> Later in life, Peyton became involved in [[horse racing]] and used her own personal experiences of owning horses as further inspiration for her writing.<ref name=":1" />   

In association with the [[Oxford University Press]], Peyton's novels were illustrated by artist [[Victor Ambrus|Victor G. Ambrus]] in the late 1960s.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pitts |first=Mike |last2=Eccleshare |first2=Julia |date=2021-03-10 |title=Victor Ambrus obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/mar/10/victor-ambrus-obituary |access-date=2024-05-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Peyton was an artist herself and self-illustrated a few of her own novels as well.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2024-01-01 |title=A Tribute to K M Peyton, 1929 - 2023 |url=http://www.lindanewbery.co.uk/2024/01/01/a-tribute-to-k-m-peyton-1929-2023/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Linda Newbery Author |language=en-US}}</ref> During the 1970s, her best-selling series ''Flambards'' was published in multiple languages, such as [[Italian language|Italian]], [[German language|German]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]].<ref>[http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79-086499 "Peyton, K. M."]. [[WorldCat]]. Retrieved 10 August 2012.</ref>   

Writers who cite K.M. Peyton as an influence include [[Linda Newbery]], whose young adult novel ''The Damage Done'' (2001, Scholastic) is dedicated "to Kathleen Peyton, who made me want to try."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Newbery |first=Linda |title=The Damage Done |publisher=[[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic]] |year=2001 |isbn=9780439997997}}</ref>