Edward Blishen facts for kids

Edward Blishen (born April 29, 1920 – died December 13, 1996) was an English author and broadcaster. He is perhaps best known for his exciting children's novels based on Greek mythology. He wrote these with Leon Garfield. The books were illustrated by Charles Keeping. Their first book, The God Beneath the Sea, won the important Carnegie Medal in 1970. This award is given to the best children's book by a British author each year.

Edward Blishen also wrote a series of books about his own life. One of these, A Cack-Handed War (1972), tells about his experiences during World War Two. He was a conscientious objector, meaning he chose not to fight in the war. Another book, Roaring Boys (1955), shares his honest experiences teaching at a London secondary modern school in the 1950s. This book is still helpful for understanding teaching in challenging city areas. Its follow-up, This Right Soft Lot, came out in 1969. He finished the last book in his life story series, Mind How You Go, just before he passed away in 1996. It was published in 1997.

Edward Blishen's Early Life and Choices

Edward Blishen was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England. He went to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Barnet. When he was 17, he didn't pass his exams. So, he left school and started working at a local newspaper.

Why Edward Blishen Chose Not to Fight

When World War Two began, Edward Blishen decided to become a conscientious objector (CO). This meant he believed it was wrong to fight in the war. This was a brave choice, as his family had a long history of soldiers. His father had fought in World War One and came back injured. He didn't talk about his experiences.

Edward Blishen remembered his father's feelings: "He wasn't sympathetic to pacifists. He felt that if he had fought a war, then I ought to fight a war as well." But Edward had read books that showed the terrible parts of World War One. He realized, "I can't be somebody who does that to someone else." Registering as a CO was not easy. He felt like he was separating himself from everyone else.

Teaching and Writing Success

Later, Edward Blishen taught for three years at a Hampstead prep school. After that, he taught at a secondary modern school in Holloway Road, north London. It was there that he wrote his first successful book, Roaring Boys, in 1955.

Because Roaring Boys was so popular, he stopped teaching full-time in 1959. He wanted to spend more time writing and working in broadcasting. He did do some part-time teaching at York University from 1963 to 1965. Many people enjoyed Roaring Boys and its sequel, This Right Soft Lot. These fans included the famous novelist Kingsley Amis and former Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock.

Editor and Broadcaster

For over 33 years, from 1961 until at least 1994, Edward Blishen was the editor of the Junior Pears Encyclopaedia. This was published by Pelham Books. He also wrote a regular column for a magazine called The Young Elizabethan.

As a broadcaster, Blishen did important work with the BBC's African Service. He was also a presenter for the BBC Radio 4 show A Good Read. He often contributed to another radio program called Stop the Week.

He also put together several collections of stories, such as the Kingfisher Treasury of Stories series and Children’s Classics to Read Aloud.

In June 1995, Edward Blishen received an honorary degree from the Open University. He was given the title of Doctor of the University. He was married to Nancy Smith and they had two sons.

Edward Blishen's Books

Here are some of the books Edward Blishen wrote:

• Mind How You Go (Constable, 1997)
• The Disturbance Fee (Hamish Hamilton, 1988)
• The Outside Contributor (Hamish Hamilton, 1986)
• A Second Skin (Hamish Hamilton, 1984)
• Donkey Work (Hamish Hamilton, 1983)
• Lizzie Pye (Hamish Hamilton, 1982)
• Shaky Relations: An autobiography (Hamish Hamilton, 1981)
• A Nest of Teachers (Hamish Hamilton, 1980; Allison & Busby, 1985)
• Sorry, Dad (Hamish Hamilton, 1978; Allison & Busby, 1984)
• Uncommon Entrance (Thames & Hudson, 1974; Trafalgar Square Publishing, 1983)
• The Golden Shadow (Longman, 1973) ‡
• A Cack-Handed War (Thames & Hudson, 1972)
• The God Beneath the Sea (Longman, 1970) ‡
• This Right Soft Lot (Thames & Hudson, 1969; Panther, 1971)
• Roaring Boys: A Schoolmaster's Agony (Thames & Hudson, 1955; Panther, 1966)

‡ These books were written by Blishen and Leon Garfield, and illustrated by Charles Keeping.