Roger Lancelyn Green facts for kids

Roger Gilbert Lancelyn Green (born November 2, 1918 – died October 8, 1987) was a British writer. He was known for writing biographies (life stories of real people) and children's books. He was also a scholar at Oxford University and part of a famous writing group called the Inklings. Other members of this group included well-known authors like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.

Who Was Roger Lancelyn Green?

Roger Lancelyn Green was born in 1918 in Norwich, England. His family, the Lancelyn Greens, had a long history. They had lived in the same area for over 900 years!

His Time at Oxford University

Roger studied at Merton College, Oxford, where he learned from C. S. Lewis. He earned a special degree there. While he was a student, he also acted in plays by William Shakespeare. These plays were put on by the Oxford University Dramatic Society.

After finishing his studies, Roger worked as a librarian at Merton College. He was also a research fellow at the University of Liverpool. Later, he gave lectures at the University of St Andrews.

Friendship with C. S. Lewis

Roger Lancelyn Green and C. S. Lewis were very close friends. They stayed friends until Lewis passed away in 1963. They even went on holiday together to Greece.

When C. S. Lewis started writing his famous Narnia books, Roger had a great idea. He suggested that the series should be called The Chronicles of Narnia.

His Home and Family

Roger Lancelyn Green lived in a very old house called Poulton Hall in Cheshire, England. His family had owned this special manor house for more than 900 years! He was also known as the Lord of the Manors of Poulton-Lancelyn and Lower Bebington.

Roger Lancelyn Green passed away on October 8, 1987, when he was 68 years old. His son, Richard Lancelyn Green, also became a writer.

What Did Roger Lancelyn Green Write?

Roger Lancelyn Green was most famous for his books for children. He loved to retell old stories and myths.

Stories for Young Readers

He wrote new versions of many classic tales. These included:

• Stories from Greek mythology, like Tales of the Greek Heroes and The Tale of Troy.
• Stories from Egyptian mythology, called Tales of Ancient Egypt.
• Tales from Norse mythology, which he called Myths of the Norsemen.
• The adventures of King Arthur and his knights, in King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.
• The exciting stories of Robin Hood, in The Adventures of Robin Hood.

He also wrote his own fantasy stories. One of these was The Luck of Troy, which takes place during the Trojan War. Another was The Land of the Lord High Tiger, a fantasy book that some people compare to the Narnia books.

Books About Other Writers

Roger Lancelyn Green also wrote biographies. These are books that tell the life story of real people. He wrote about famous authors such as:

• J. M. Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan.
• Andrew Lang, another writer of fairy tales.
• His good friend, C. S. Lewis.

He was very interested in Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Roger wrote a book called The Story of Lewis Carroll. He also helped to edit Lewis Carroll's diaries and letters. Roger was even a founder and vice-president of the Lewis Carroll Society.

Other Things Roger Lancelyn Green Did

Besides writing, Roger Lancelyn Green had other interesting jobs and activities:

• He was a professional actor for a few years.
• He was a member of the famous Inklings literary group.
• He worked as a librarian and a research fellow at universities.
• He was also a member of the Council of the University of Liverpool.

See also

In Spanish: Roger Lancelyn Green para niños