Arthur Quiller-Couch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch
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| Born | Arthur Thomas Quiller Couch 21 November 1863 Bodmin, Cornwall, England |
| Died | 12 May 1944 (aged 80) Cornwall, England |
| Pen name | Q |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, critic |
| Language | English |
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| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Notable works | Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250–1900 |
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Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (/ˌkwɪlərˈkuːtʃ/; 21 November 1863 – 12 May 1944) was a British writer. He used the pseudonym Q when he published his works. He wrote many novels, but people remember him most for his huge collection of poems called The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250–1900. He was also a very important literary critic. His work inspired many people, even those who never met him. For example, American writer Helene Hanff wrote a book called Q's Legacy about his influence.
Contents
Life of a Writer
Arthur Quiller-Couch was born in Bodmin, Cornwall, England. His father, Dr. Thomas Quiller Couch, was a well-known doctor, historian, and expert on local traditions. Arthur came from a family of smart people. His grandfather, Jonathan Couch, was a naturalist who studied animals and plants, especially fish. Arthur's younger sisters, Florence Mabel and Lilian M., also became writers.
Arthur Quiller-Couch had two children. His son, Bevil Brian Quiller-Couch, was a war hero and poet. His daughter, Foy Felicia, was the inspiration for the character Ratty in the famous book The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.
Arthur went to Newton Abbot Proprietary College, Clifton College, and Trinity College, Oxford. After finishing his studies, he worked as a teacher for a short time. Then he became a journalist in London. In 1891, he moved back to Fowey in Cornwall.
In Cornwall, he was active in politics, supporting the Liberal Party. He was made a knight in 1910, which means he was given the title "Sir." In 1928, he became a Bard of Gorseth Kernow, a Cornish cultural group. He chose the Bardic name Marghak Cough, which means 'Red Knight'. He was also the head of the Royal Fowey Yacht Club for many years.
Arthur Quiller-Couch passed away in May 1944. He had been in a small accident with a jeep near his home a few months earlier.
World War I Efforts
During World War I, Arthur Quiller-Couch helped create a special army group called the 10th Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. This group was unusual because the people of Truro, a town in Cornwall, started it, not the government.
Arthur Quiller-Couch and Colonel Dudley Acland Mills worked very hard to gather and train soldiers for this battalion. Neither of them was paid for this work. Their efforts were amazing, and the War Office officially took over the battalion in August 1915.
Writing and Teaching Career
In 1887, while he was still at Oxford, Arthur Quiller-Couch published his first novel, Dead Man's Rock. It was an adventure story, similar to Treasure Island. He also wrote funny novels like The Astonishing History of Troy Town (1888), which was based on his hometown of Fowey. Another well-known story of his is "The Rollcall of the Reef," about a shipwreck off the coast of Cornwall.
He was also known for his excellent poems. His poetry collections include Green Bays (1893) and Poems and Ballads (1896). In 1900, he published his most famous work, Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250–1900. This book was a collection of English poems from different centuries. It was the most important collection of English poetry for many years.
In 1910, he wrote The Sleeping Beauty and other Fairy Tales from the Old French. He also wrote many popular novels that were set in Cornwall.
In 1912, he became a professor of English Literature at the University of Cambridge. He held this job for the rest of his life. He helped start the English department there. He was known for his teaching style, and one of his famous students was Alistair Cooke, a well-known journalist.
Arthur Quiller-Couch was also a respected literary critic. He edited some of Shakespeare's plays and wrote books about literature, like Studies in Literature (1918). He also edited The Oxford Book of English Prose, a collection of famous English writings, in 1923.
Lasting Impact
Arthur Quiller-Couch's Book of English Verse is often mentioned by the character Horace Rumpole in the books by John Mortimer.
His novel Castle Dor was not finished when he died. Many years later, the famous author Daphne du Maurier completed it. She said she did it to honor him and remember the happy times she spent with him.
Arthur Quiller-Couch is also remembered for a famous piece of advice he gave to writers: "murder your darlings." This means that if you write something you think is incredibly good, you should be willing to remove it if it doesn't fit the rest of your writing. It's about making sure every part of your writing serves the main purpose.
Works
Fiction Books
- Dead Man's Rock (1887)
- The Astonishing History of Troy Town (1888)
- The Splendid Spur (1889)
- The Blue Pavilions (1891)
- The Delectable Duchy: Stories, Studies and Sketches (1893)
- I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter's Tales (1893)
- Wandering Heath: Stories, Studies, and Sketches (1895)
- Ia, A Love Story (1896)
- St Ives (1898), he finished this novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.
- Noughts and Crosses: Stories, Studies and Sketches (1898)
- The Ship of Stars (1899)
- A Fowey Garland (1899)
- Old Fires and Profitable Ghosts (1900)
- The Westcotes (1902)
- The White Wolf and Other Fireside Tales (1902)
- Hetty Wesley (1903)
- The Adventures of Harry Revel (1903)
- Fort Amity (1904)
- The Shining Ferry (1905)
- Shakespeare's Christmas and Other Stories (1905)
- The Mayor of Troy (1906)
- Sir John Constantine (1906)
- Merry Garden and Other Stories (1907)
- Poison Island (1907)
- Major Vigoureaux (1907)
- True Tilda (1909)
- Corporal Sam and Other Stories (1910)
- Lady Good-for-Nothing: A Man's Portrait of a Woman (1910)
- Brother Copas (1911)
- Hocken and Hunken: A Tale of Troy (1912)
- My Best Book (1912)
- News from the Duchy (1913)
- Nicky-Nan, Reservist (1915)
- Mortallone and Aunt Trinidad: Tales of the Spanish Main (1917)
- Foe-Farrell: A Romance (1918)
- Castle Dor (1962) - This book was finished by Daphne Du Maurier.
Poetry Books
- Green Bays, Verses and Parodies (1893)
- Poems and Ballads (1896)
- The Vigil of Venus and Other Poems (1912)
Autobiography
- Memories and Opinions (published in 1945, but not finished by him)
