The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

The Ghost of Thomas Kempe is a low fantasy novel for children by Penelope Lively, first published by Heinemann in 1973 with illustrations by Anthony Maitland. Set in present-day Oxfordshire, it features a boy and his modern family who are new in their English village, and seem beset by a poltergeist. Soon the boy makes acquaintance with the eponymous Thomas Kempe, ghost of a 17th-century resident sorcerer who intends to stay.

Lively won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.

Characters

 * Major characters
 * James Harrison, the main character
 * Mrs Harrison, James's mother
 * Mr Harrison, James's father
 * Helen Harrison, James's sister
 * Tim the dog
 * Thomas Kempe, the poltergeist who troubles James


 * Minor characters
 * Simon, James's friend
 * Bert, the local handyman who tries to deal with the poltergeist
 * Mrs Verity, an old lady whom Thomas Kempe accuses of being a witch
 * Arnold, a Victorian boy who experienced the ghost before James
 * Aunt Fanny, Arnold's aunt
 * Mr Hollings, James's teacher
 * The vicar
 * Julia, Helen's friend

Themes
An interest in history, the passage of time and local change is a running theme in the work of Penelope Lively and can be seen in many of her books. Beside Mr Kempe from the 17th century, this story involves both a 20th-century resident of the cottage and the history of the surrounding countryside.

Adaptations
In 1978, a film was made based on the novel, which aired on the ABC Weekend Special, a showcase for a variety of different films aimed at children. The film was re-broadcast many times over the years, and has had several releases on home video, and is currently hosted on YouTube. The book was also read on BBC's Jackanory. In 1977, a radio play version was aired over a number of weeks on Australia's ABC radio. In 1978 the book was adapted as a radio play by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.