Hugo Charteris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugo Charteris
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Hugo Francis Guy Charteris
11 December 1922 26 Catherine Street, Victoria, London, England |
| Died | 20 December 1970 (aged 48) Elvington, North Yorkshire, England |
| Spouses | Virginia Mary Forbes Adam (m. 1948) |
| Children | 5 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Laura Spencer-Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (sister) Ann Fleming (sister) Ian Fleming (brother-in-law) Martin Charteris (cousin) Francis Charteris |
| Residence | Stanway House |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
| Occupation | novelist, journalist, screenwriter |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1944 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Scots Guards |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Military Cross |
Hugo Francis Guy Charteris MC (born December 11, 1922 – died December 20, 1970) was a famous British writer. He wrote many novels, TV shows, and stories for kids. He also worked as a journalist and served in the army during World War II.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hugo Charteris was born in London, England. He was the fourth child of Captain Hon. Guy Lawrence Charteris and Frances Lucy Tennant. His sister, Ann Fleming, later became well-known.
Hugo and his sisters grew up at Stanway House. They were often around creative people, like the famous writer James Barrie. Barrie would even write plays for them to perform during their summer holidays.
Hugo went to Eton College, a well-known school. In 1941, he left school to join the Scots Guards, a part of the British Army. He was hurt twice during the war. He earned a special award called the Military Cross for his bravery in Italy, where he defended his position against many enemy attacks.
Career as a Writer
After World War II, Hugo worked in Malaya and Java (now part of Indonesia) from 1945 to 1947. He helped with public relations for the army in Southeast Asia.
Later, he went to Oxford University to study English at Trinity College. In 1948, he married Virginia Mary Forbes Adam. They had five children together.
Hugo then worked for the Daily Mail newspaper. He started as a sub-editor, which means he helped prepare articles for printing. Later, he became a correspondent in Paris, writing articles for the newspaper's European edition.
In 1951, Hugo decided to stop working full-time as a journalist. He moved to Sutherland, Scotland, to focus on writing novels. While he wrote his books, he also took on smaller writing jobs for magazines like Punch and The Telegraph.
His first novel, A Share of the World, came out in 1953. It was praised by critics. Hugo wrote eight more novels that were also very popular. He often wrote about rich families, using his own relatives as inspiration for his characters. For example, the family in his first novel was based on his wife's parents.
After 1965, Hugo started writing for television. One of his most popular TV shows was Take Three Girls, which was about three young women sharing a flat. His TV play, The Toggle, was also highly praised. It told a touching story about a schoolboy who felt alone and controlled by adults.
Hugo also continued to write articles for newspapers. In 1959, he interviewed the famous psychologist Carl Jung for The Daily Telegraph.
He worked with a BBC producer named Verity Lambert to turn his novel, The Coat, into a movie or TV series. Even after his death, other writers tried to finish the screenplays, but the project was never completed.
One of his novels, The Tide is Right, was written in 1957 but was not published at the time. This was because some people thought the characters were based on them and did not want the book released. It was finally published in 1991, 21 years after Hugo passed away.
Personal Life
Hugo Charteris was known for being very handsome when he was young. He died from cancer on December 20, 1970, at his home in Elvington, Yorkshire. He was buried in St Helen's churchyard in Skipwith, York. His wife, Virginia, never remarried and passed away in 2012. She was buried next to him.
In 1952, Hugo's sister Ann Fleming married Ian Fleming, who wrote the famous James Bond novels. Ann had been married before to Esmond Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere.
Books by Hugo Charteris
- A Share of the World (1953)
- Marching with April (1956)
- The Tide is Right (written 1957, published 1991)
- Picnic at Porokorro (1958)
- The Lifeline (1961)
- Clunie (1963, a children's novel)
- Pictures on the Wall (1963)
- Staying with Aunt Rozzie (1964, a children's novel)
- The River Watcher (1965)
- The Coat (1966)
- The Indian Summer of Gabriel Murray (1968)
Images for kids
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Hugo Charteris
