Full Name: Alan Alexander Milne
Profession: Author
Biography: Alan Alexander Milne was an English writer renowned for creating Winnie-the-Pooh. Milne crafted a diverse array of literary works, including children's poetry, novels, plays, and screenplays. He also served in the military during both World Wars, and his first-hand experiences with conflict profoundly influenced some of his writings.
Milne was educated at a small school run by his father, where he was taught by novelist H.G. Wells. He later attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, studying mathematics.
During his time at Cambridge, he contributed to the student magazine Punch and eventually secured a position as an assistant editor at the publication. Milne's social circle included fellow authors like J.M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle with whom he shared a passion for cricket.
With the outbreak of World War I, Milne served as a signals officer. After the war, he expressed his anti-war sentiments through Peace with Honour (1934), but he revisited and changed some of these views with War with Honour (1940) once World War II commenced. He joined the Home Guard as a captain and was vocal in his criticism of other writers, like P.G. Wodehouse who made radio broadcasts from Berlin during the conflict.
In 1913, Milne married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt and welcomed their son, Christopher Robin, who later became the namesake of a character in Milne's stories. They bought Cotchford Farm in 1925, which offered Milne a tranquil environment to focus on his writing.
Milne had already established a solid career in literature, with contributions to Punch, 18 plays, and three novels before his foray into children's literature with When We Were Very Young (1924), illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The immense success of Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) cast a shadow over his other works, something Milne grappled with.
The Winnie-the-Pooh series gained international acclaim, earning the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award posthumously in 1958. While the characters and setting, inspired by Ashdown Forest near Milne's home, enchanted readers worldwide, the attention surrounding the books adversely affected Milne's relationship with his son Christopher Robin.
Eager to reconnect with adult literature, Milne's later works included an adaptation of The Wind in the Willows into the play Toad of Toad Hall (1930). His venture back into adult works, however, failed to garner the same adoration as his children's books.
Upon his death, Milne's estate and the rights to the Pooh stories were divided amongst his family and other beneficiaries. These rights eventually fell into the hands of The Walt Disney Company, which made Winnie-the-Pooh a global phenomenon.
Born: January 18, 1882
Birthplace: Hampstead, England
Star Sign: Capricorn
Died: January 31, 1956 (aged 74)
Career Highlights
- 1926-10-14 A. A. Milne's book "Winnie the Pooh" released
Personal Life
- 1913-06-04 English "Winnie the Pooh" author A. A. Milne (31) weds Dorothy Daphne de Selincourt (23), until his death in 1956
References
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