James Kenward facts for kids
James Macara Kenward (1908–1994) was an English writer and artist. He was famous for his stories about growing up in the suburbs and going to a special kind of school called a prep school.
Life Story of James Kenward
James Kenward was born in South London. His father was an insurance broker at Lloyd's of London, which is a very old and famous insurance market. His dad even invented "rain insurance," which paid out if it rained too much!
James went to Ripple Vale School, a prep school near Deal in Kent. After that, he went to Brighton College in 1919. He worked at Lloyd's for three years, just like his father. But then, at age 20, he decided to become a full-time writer.
His first book for adults, John and David, came out in 1931. It was about two brothers who didn't get along. In 1935, he wrote a fantasy story called Summervale. It was about a quiet insurance broker who magically turned into a dog! He also wrote The Manewood Line (1937), a fictional story about a local train line.
In 1938, Kenward published The Roof-Tree, a book about architecture. This was the first book he illustrated himself, drawing all the pictures.
When he was 40, James Kenward went to the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art to learn more about art. He became a very skilled artist, especially good at drawing landscapes and trees. He also painted many beautiful watercolors.
Even though he believed in peace, James Kenward served as a gunner in World War II. During the war, he drew many pictures of army life. As the Allied forces moved into Germany in 1944–45, he even taught art classes to other soldiers.
In 1933, while visiting Switzerland, he met his future wife, Rubina Rose. They got married in 1938 and had four children.
After the war, Kenward wrote Prince Foamytail (1946) for children. He drew the pictures for this book himself. He then wrote The Suburban Child (1955), which was about his own childhood. It was illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. Its follow-up, Prep School (1958), was about his time at prep school. His last two children's books were The Market Train Mystery and The Story of the Poor Author, both published in 1959 and illustrated by Kenward.
James Kenward passed away in 1994. He left behind many drawings, paintings, and even some stories that were never published.
Books by James Kenward
- John and David (London, Peter Davies, 1931)
- Summervale (London, Constable and Co., 1935)
- The Manewood Line (London, Stanley Paul, 1937)
- The Roof-Tree (Oxford, OUP, 1938 reprinted 1941)
- Prince Foamytail (London, Comyns, 1946)
- The Suburban Child (Cambridge, CUP, 1955)
- Prep School (London, Michael Joseph, 1958 and Penguin, 1961)
- The Market Train Mystery (Welwyn, Nisbet, 1959)
- The Story of the Poor Author (Welwyn, Nisbet, 1959)
- Faber Junior Dictionary (Faber, 1964)
