Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School (novel) facts for kids
Title page from the first edition
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| Author | Charles Hamilton writing as Frank Richards |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children, Comedy |
| Published | September 1947, Charles Skilton Ltd |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Preceded by | None |
| Followed by | Billy Bunter's Banknote |
Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School is a fun school story book. It was written by Charles Hamilton. He used the pen name Frank Richards. This book features characters and settings from the famous Greyfriars School stories. These stories were first published in The Magnet magazine. They ran from 1908 to 1940. The book first sold for 5 shillings.
This novel was a big hit right away. It sold 25,000 copies in just a few weeks. This was the most copies allowed because paper was hard to get after the war. The first publisher printed the book again in 1947, 1948, and 1950. Later, other companies like Armada and Hawk also republished it.
Who is Billy Bunter?
Billy Bunter is a very famous character. He is known for being a bit greedy and always hungry. He is also quite lazy. Billy Bunter is a student at Greyfriars School. He often gets into funny trouble. He tries to avoid work. He also tries to borrow money from his friends. But he rarely pays them back! He is a memorable character. He makes many readers laugh.
What is Greyfriars School?
Greyfriars School is a fictional boarding school for boys. It is the main setting for many stories. These stories were written by Charles Hamilton. The school is in a quiet part of England. It has different "forms" or classes. Billy Bunter is in the Remove Form. The stories show daily life at the school. They include lessons, sports, and pranks. The school feels very real to readers. It is a classic school setting.
How the Book Started
The magazine The Magnet stopped printing in May 1940. This was because of paper shortages during World War II. Charles Hamilton could not write Greyfriars stories anymore. His publisher, Amalgamated Press, stopped him. But in 1946, a new publisher came along. Charles Skilton wanted to publish new stories. He made a deal with Hamilton.
Hamilton was very happy about this. He suggested getting £90 for each book. But Skilton did not have much money. He asked Hamilton to take "royalties" instead. This meant Hamilton would get a small part of each book's sales. This turned out to be a great deal for Hamilton. He earned £1,000 for the first book. This was much more than the £90 he first asked for.
