Richard Hughes (British writer) facts for kids

Richard Hughes in 1971

Richard Arthur Warren Hughes (born April 19, 1900 – died April 28, 1976) was a British writer. He wrote many different things, including poems, short stories, novels, and plays. He was known for his creative imagination and unique way of telling stories.

Hughes was born in Weybridge, Surrey, England. His father, Arthur Hughes, worked for the government. His mother, Louisa Grace Warren, grew up in Jamaica. Richard went to Charterhouse School and later studied at Oriel College, Oxford, finishing in 1922.

Early Writing and Radio Plays

Richard Hughes started writing at a young age. His first published work appeared in The Spectator magazine in 1917. This was an essay he wrote for school. At Oxford, he worked with another writer, Robert Graves, to edit a poetry magazine called Oxford Poetry in 1921.

By 1922, one of his short plays, The Sisters' Tragedy, was performed in London's West End. Hughes also made history by writing the world's first radio play, called A Comedy Of Danger. The BBC asked him to write it, and it was broadcast on January 15, 1924. This was a big step for radio entertainment!

Life in Wales

Before he got married, Hughes worked as a journalist and traveled a lot. In 1932, he married Frances Bazley, who was a painter. They first lived in Norfolk, then moved to Castle House in Laugharne, South Wales, in 1934. The famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas even stayed with them there. Thomas wrote some of his book Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog while living at Castle House. Hughes helped convince Dylan Thomas to live in that area permanently.

Famous Books and Stories

Richard Hughes wrote only four novels, but they were very popular. His most famous novel is A High Wind in Jamaica, published in 1929. This adventure story is set in the 19th century. It's about a group of English children who are accidentally captured by pirates. The story shows how the children are surprisingly clever and sometimes even trickier than the pirates!

In 1938, he wrote another novel called In Hazard. This book was based on a real event: a ship called the S.S. Phemius that got caught in a huge hurricane for four days in 1932. Hughes also wrote many stories for children, including a collection called The Spider's Palace.

Later Life and Work

During World War II, Hughes worked for the British Admiralty, which was part of the navy. After the war, he spent ten years writing movie scripts for Ealing Studios. He didn't publish any more novels until 1961.

He started a big series of novels called The Human Predicament. This series aimed to describe European history from the 1920s through World War II. He included real people and events, as well as fictional ones. Sadly, he only finished the first two books, The Fox in the Attic (1961) and The Wooden Shepherdess (1973), before he passed away.

Later in his life, Richard Hughes moved to Ynys in Gwynedd, Wales. He was a churchwarden at the local church, Llanfihangel-y-traethau, where he was buried after he died at home in 1976.

Hughes was a respected writer. He was a member of the Royal Society of Literature in Britain and an honorary member of important arts groups in the United States. He also received an award called the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1946 for his contributions.

Family

Richard and Frances Hughes had five children. Their daughter, Penelope Hughes, wrote a book about her father called Richard Hughes: Author, Father in 1984.

Works

Hughes also helped write The Story of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith (1925) for Nigel Playfair.