John Keir Cross
John Keir Cross was a Scottish writer born in Carluke in 1914, known for his contributions to children's literature and radio drama in the UK. Before establishing himself as a writer, he worked as a ventriloquist and held a position in the insurance industry. Cross became a prominent figure at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), where he wrote and produced adaptations for radio, including notable works for the BBC Children's Hour and the long-running series The Archers from 1962 to 1967. His literary work includes the 1946 science-fiction novel *The Angry Planet*, which follows the adventures of three children who stow away on a spaceship to Mars, and the short-story collection *The Other Passenger*, published in 1944, which explores various aspects of British society through its narratives. Despite his impact in the UK, Cross did not achieve significant recognition in the United States. He passed away in 1967, leaving behind a legacy of storytelling that reflects both imaginative journeys and societal observations.
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Subject Terms
John Keir Cross
Writer
- Born: August 19, 1914
- Birthplace: Carluke, Scotland
- Died: January 22, 1967
Biography
John Keir Cross was born in Carluke, Scotland, in 1914. He became an established writer in the United Kingdom. While his books found their way to American audiences, he was largely unrecognized in the United States. Before he became a writer, he was a ventriloquist and worked in the insurance industry.
For many years, Cross was a writer and producer for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), adapting numerous works for radio. He became known for the works he created for the BBC Children’s Hour program and for the episodes he wrote between 1962 and 1967 for the long-running radio drama The Archers.
Cross also wrote books for children, including the acclaimed science-fiction story The Angry Planet: An Authentic First- Hand Account of a Journey to Mars in the Spaceship Albatross (1946). The book told the story of three children who stow away on a home-built spaceship; after they reach Mars, they get caught up in the struggle between the Terrible Ones and the Beautiful People. Following the climactic battle with the Terrible Ones, the only remaining survivor of the Beautiful People escapes on the Spaceship Albatross on its return to Earth and dies in transit.
The Other Passenger: Eighteen Strange Stories, published in 1944, was a short-story collection; the original eighteen stories later were reduced to nine for a paperback edition. The book was commended for depicting a cross section of British society, with the stories examining all levels of the British class structure. Cross inserted some of his autobiography in one story, “The Glass Eye,” about a ventriloquist and his dummy who have reversed their normal roles. Cross died in 1967.