Edward Wyke-Smith facts for kids

Edward Augustine Wyke-Smith (born April 12, 1871 – died May 16, 1935) was an English adventurer, mining engineer, and author. He is most famous for his children's fantasy book, The Marvellous Land of Snergs. The "snergs" from his story actually helped inspire J. R. R. Tolkien to create the hobbits in his famous books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

About E. A. Wyke-Smith

Edward Augustine Smith was born in England. He later changed his name to Wyke-Smith, using an older family name.

Wyke-Smith had many exciting adventures in his life. He first served in the Royal Horse Guards, a special part of the British army. After that, he joined the crew of a large sailing ship. He sailed all the way to Australia and then to the west coast of the United States.

In the American West, he even worked as a cowboy! Later, he returned to England to study mine engineering. He then managed mines in many different countries. These included Mexico, Egypt (Sinai), South America, Spain, Portugal, and Norway.

During a revolution in Mexico in 1913, he bravely rescued his wife from the capital city. During the First World War, he helped build a special floating bridge across the Suez Canal.

Wyke-Smith started writing fantasy stories for his children. He began writing after his experiences in World War I. His first book, Bill of the Bustingforths, was written because his children asked him to. He went on to write several more books for both children and adults.

How Wyke-Smith Inspired Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, the famous author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, read The Marvellous Land of Snergs to his own children. He really loved the book.

Tolkien once said, "I should like to record my own love and my children's love of E. A. Wyke-Smith's Marvellous Land of Snergs, at any rate of the snerg-element of that tale, and of Gorbo the gem of dunderheads, jewel of a companion in an escapade."

There are many similarities between the snergs and the hobbits. This has led many people to believe that Wyke-Smith's book was a big inspiration for Tolkien.

Similarities Between Snergs and Hobbits

• Appearance: Both snergs and hobbits have similar descriptions of how they look.
• Love of Food: They both enjoy big feasts and eating together.
• Names: Some of their names are quite similar, like Gorbo (a snerg) and Bilbo (a hobbit).
• Adventures: In both stories, characters go on journeys through dangerous forests and dark caves.

Books by E. A. Wyke-Smith

Novels for Young Readers and Adults

• Bill of the Bustingforths (1921)
• The Last of the Baron (1921)
• Some Pirates and Marmaduke (1921)
• Captain Quality (1922)
• The Second Chance (1923)
• Because of Josephine (1924)
• Fortune My Foe (1925)
• The Marvellous Land of Snergs (1927)

Short Stories and Other Works

• "A Lecture on Libraries, Their Acquisition and Maintenance" (1919)
• "One Touch of Dickens" (1920)
• "An Antiseptic for Efficiency" (1921)
• "Conversation without Words" (1921)
• "Tales within Tales" (1922)
• "Reconstructing the Past" (1921)
• "My Lord's Affairs: A Mediaeval Story" (1923)
• "The Compleat Mushroomer: A Sequel to Isaak Walton's 'Compleat Angler'" (1928)

See also

In Spanish: Edward Wyke-Smith para niños