John Bellairs
John Anthony Bellairs was an American author born on January 17, 1938, in Marshall, Michigan. He is best known for his contributions to gothic mysteries and ghost stories, particularly for young adults, featuring memorable characters like Lewis Barnavelt, Anthony Monday, and Johnny Dixon. Bellairs pursued higher education at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned his B.A. and M.A. in English. After a brief career in academia, he transitioned to full-time writing in 1971, producing a total of twenty-nine books throughout his career. His notable works include "The Face in the Frost" and "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," the latter earning a New York Times Outstanding Book Citation. Following his death in 1991, his estate collaborated with author Brad Strickland to complete and continue the stories of his beloved characters. Bellairs' works remain in print today, reflecting his enduring legacy in children's literature and his influence on young adult fiction.
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Subject Terms
John Bellairs
Fiction Writer
- Born: January 17, 1938
- Birthplace: Marshall, Michigan
- Died: March 8, 1991
Biography
John Anthony Bellairs was born in Marshall, Michigan, on January 17, 1938, to Frank Edward and Virginia Monk Bellairs. Later, the family was joined by younger brother Frank and sister Suzanne. He joined the Boy Scouts and enjoyed reading the works of Henry James and M. R. James, whose ghost stories would later inspire his own fiction. He attended the University of Notre Dame and served as a winning member of the College Bowl team before receiving his B.A. in English magna cum laude in 1959 and his M.A. in 1960. He taught English at various institutions, including Indiana University, the College of St. Teresa, Shimer College, Emmanuel College, and Merrimack College, while indulging his Anglophile tendencies by making extended trips to England. For a number of years, he also worked on a doctorate in English at the University of Chicago. He gave up the academic life in 1971 to become a full-time writer. In 1968 he married Priscilla Braids. After their divorce in 1984, Bellairs moved with his son Frank to Haverhill, Massachusetts, where they lived with their cat, Edna, until Bellairs died of cardiovascular disease on March 8, 1991. After his death, the Bellairs estate invited author Brad Strickland to complete four of his preexisting works and to continue with new works using the characters Bellairs created.
With Strickland’s aid, Bellairs produced twenty-nine books. His work began with three adult works, including The Face in the Frost, which was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, most of his novels fell into the category of gothic mysteries or ghost stories for young adults. They included three protagonists Lewis Barnavelt, Anthony Monday, and Johnny Dixon—who each spawned their own series. Bellairs especially enjoyed blending elements of the fantastic with autobiographical experiences and included many details from the various places he lived. He several honors, including the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and the 1981 Utah Children’s Book Award. The House with a Clock in Its Walls received a New York Times Outstanding Book Citation. In 2000, Bellairs was posthumously inducted into the Haverhill Hall of Fame. However, his more permanent legacy is the fact all his young-adult novels are still in print. His characters live on in new works with the assistance of Brad Strickland.