Edward Blishen
Edward William Blishen, born on April 29, 1920, in Whetstone, Middlesex, England, was a notable English author, journalist, and educator. Raised in a family facing financial challenges, Blishen developed a passion for reading and writing from a young age, which later influenced his career. He began his professional journey as a journalist, and during World War II, he served as a conscientious objector, contributing to war agriculture efforts. Following the war, Blishen transitioned into education as a teacher while simultaneously pursuing his writing. His first significant work, "Roaring Boys: A Schoolmaster's Agony," was published in 1955, paving the way for his future as a full-time writer.
Throughout his career, Blishen authored and edited over two dozen works, including children's literature and educational books, while also hosting various BBC radio programs that showcased literary works and African writers. Notable accolades from his career include the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Carnegie Medal, awarded for his contributions to children's literature, particularly for "The God Beneath the Sea." Blishen's legacy as a writer and educator continued until his passing on December 13, 1996, leaving an impactful mark on the literary landscape.
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Edward Blishen
Writer
- Born: April 29, 1920
- Birthplace: Whetstone, Middlesex, England
- Died: December 13, 1996
Biography
Edward William Blishen was born on April 29, 1920, in Whetstone, Middlesex, England. His father was William George Blishen, a civil servant and a World War I veteran, and his mother was Elizabeth Ann Pye Blishen, a homemaker. The family struggled to make ends meet, and there was tension between his parents. As a child, Blishen loved to read, to listen to the radio, and to write in his diary—activities he would continue throughout his life. At ten, he was granted a scholarship to attend an exclusive private school, which advanced his education but further separated him from his parents, who had had little formal education themselves.
Blishen’s first career was as a journalist, working for various small newspapers in and around London from 1937 to 1941. During World War II, he was a conscientious objector and did his nonmilitary service as a manual laborer for the Essex and Hertfordshire War Agriculture Committees. After the war, he worked as a schoolmaster at a preparatory school, then as a secondary school English teacher, and continued to work at his writing. In 1948, he married Nancy Smith. The couple had two sons, Jonathan and Nicholas.
Blishen’s first book, Roaring Boys: A Schoolmaster’s Agony (1955), published during this time, was drawn from material in his diaries. It sold well enough that he began to imagine himself a full-time writer. From 1959 to 1972, he was the host of a radio program on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) African Service called Writer’s Club, introducing African writers. In 1961, he edited the Junior Pears Encyclopedia, and worked on annual revisions for many years after. He taught in the University of York Education Department from 1963 to 1965, while writing and editing educational books for children and adults, including the Oxford Book of Poetry for Children.
The success of these projects led him to become a full-time writer in 1965. Over the next twenty-five years, Blishen wrote or edited more than two dozen books, many of them fictionalized accounts of episodes from his own life. A Cackhanded War tells the story of conscientious objectors during World War II. He collaborated with his friend Leon Garfield on two children’s books, including the award-winning The God Beneath the Sea, a retelling of a Greek creation myth.
With his wife Nancy, Blishen edited collections of stories for children ages four through eight. He continued to present radio programs about books on the BBC, including The World of Books from 1973 to 1989, and A Good Read from 1989 to 1996. Blishen was named a Royal Society of Literature Fellow in 1989, and he died on December 13, 1996. The Oxford Book of Poetry for Children and The God Beneath the Sea received the Kate Greenaway Medal from the British Library Association, among other awards. The God Beneath the Sea also received the Carnegie Medal from the British Library Association for Best Book of the Year.