The Far-Distant Oxus facts for kids
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| Author | Katharine Hull & Pamela Whitlock |
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| Illustrator | Pamela Whitlock |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
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Publication date
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1937 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Followed by | Escape to Persia |
The Far-Distant Oxus is a classic British children's novel. It was written in 1937 by Katharine Hull (1921–1977) and Pamela Whitlock (1920–1982). What's cool is they wrote it when they were still kids themselves! The story is about exciting adventures with ponies on the beautiful Exmoor moors.
The book's title comes from a poem by Matthew Arnold called Sohrab and Rustum. The characters in the story even name places after parts of this poem. The real Oxus is a big river far away in Central Asia.
Writing the Story
Katharine Hull and Pamela Whitlock met at school. They were 14 and 15 years old. They found out they both loved ponies and wanted to write a story. Their idea was to set it on Exmoor, a wild and beautiful area in England.
They planned the whole book together. Each girl wrote different chapters. Then they swapped them to edit each other's work.
Inspired by Adventure Stories
The story is a lot like the adventure books by Arthur Ransome. His books are about active kids having fun outdoors. The Far-Distant Oxus also features adventurous children. They explore the amazing landscape of the moors.
Ransome's books often had boats and lakes. This book has ponies and the wide-open moors.
How the Book Got Published
Pamela Whitlock sent their story to Arthur Ransome in March 1937. Ransome loved it! He took it to his publisher, Jonathan Cape. Ransome told him it was "the best children's book of 1937."
Cape published the book in a similar style to Ransome's famous Swallows and Amazons series. Ransome even wrote a special introduction for it.
A Big Success!
The book was a big hit! Pamela Whitlock also drew the pictures for it. People who reviewed the book back then were very impressed. Even today, critics say it's a great story.
The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books said it was "as absorbing as Ransome at his best." The two young authors wrote more books about the Oxus adventures. These were Escape to Persia (1938) and The Oxus in Summer (1939). They also wrote another book called Crowns (1947).
In August 2008, Fidra Books released a new edition of the novel.
