Victor Watson (author) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victor Watson
Watson at the Saffron Walden Library, December 2015
Born	1936 (age 88–89) Littleport, Cambridgeshire, England
Occupation	Author
Period	Second World War
Genre	Academic, Children's
Subject	Historical fiction, Adventure
Spouse	Judy White
Children	3

Victor Watson (born 1936) is an English author. He has written many books about children's literature and how kids learn to read. Later, he started writing exciting novels for children, teenagers, and adults.

Victor Watson's Early Life

Victor Watson was born in 1936 in a place called Littleport, which is now part of Cambridgeshire, England. His father, George Watson, worked as a printer and sold stationery. His mother, Emily Manning, came from a large family who traveled with funfairs. While his father was away serving in the Second World War, his mother managed the family's stationery and bookshop.

Victor Watson's Education

Victor Watson went to primary school in Littleport and then to Soham Grammar School. After finishing school, he joined the Royal Artillery for his national service. This was a time when young men had to serve in the military.

Later, he studied English at University College, London. There, he learned about many things, including Old English, which is a very old form of the English language. He then earned a master's degree while working as a research assistant.

Victor Watson's Career

From 1962 to 1969, Victor Watson taught English at Sherrardswood School. This was a private school in Welwyn Garden City.

After that, he started training teachers. He spent five years at Saffron Walden Teacher Training College. Then, he became a lecturer in English at Homerton College, Cambridge. At Homerton, he focused on books from the 1700s and 1800s, and the history of children's books.

Victor Watson's Books

Victor Watson has written many academic books about children's literature. Some of these include After Alice – Exploring Children's Literature and The Prose and the Passion: Children and their Reading. He often worked with other writers like Eve Bearne and Morag Styles on these books. He also edited The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English.

One of his later academic books, Reading Series Fiction: from Arthur Ransome to Gene Kemp, helped him focus on the types of children's books he loved most. After this, he began writing his own stories for children aged eight to thirteen.

His first children's novel was Paradise Barn. This book was so good that it was nominated for the Branford-Boase Award. He then wrote three more books that continued the story. The last one, Everyone a Stranger, won the East Anglian Children's Book Award in 2014.

He also wrote a thriller called Operation Blackout. Even though it was published later, its story happens after Paradise Barn. All five of these books are still available in the UK.

Victor Watson has been inspired by other famous children's authors like Jan Mark, William Mayne, and Philippa Pearce. He believes that reading books in a series is a great way to help kids love reading on their own. He once shared that a boy told him reading a new book was like entering a room full of strangers. But reading a series was like being in "a room full of friends."

In 2020, Victor Watson published his first novel for adults, The Cuckoo Season. It takes place in East Anglia and London in 1952. In 2022, he edited a book about another author, Lucy Boston. About his latest novel, Time After Time, he said he was always interested in what England was like before it became so busy.

Novels by Victor Watson

• Paradise Barn
• Operation Blackout
• The Deeping Secrets
• Hidden Lies
• Everyone a Stranger
• The Cuckoo Season
• Time After Time

National Centre for Children's Books

Victor Watson has been a trustee for an organization that wanted to create a national collection of children's books, drawings, and writings in the UK. He led this group during the time they raised money and built the center. In 2005, Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books, officially opened. Victor Watson later gave his own collection of popular children's books and magazines to Seven Stories in 2016.

Walden Writers Group

Victor Watson is part of the Walden Writers co-operative. This group was started in Saffron Walden in 2008 by authors Amy Corzine and Martyn Everett. They work together to promote their books and organize events about literature. Other members include children's authors Rosemary Hayes and Penny Speller, and many other talented writers.

Victor Watson's Personal Life

Victor Watson is married to Judy, who is also a teacher. They have three children named Sally, Lucy, and Tim. They also have four granddaughters.