Children's writer Milne Alan Alexander: biography, creativity. Alan Milne, Winnie the Pooh

British writer Alan Milne (Alan Aleksander Milne) remained in the history of literature and the memory of readers as the author of stories about a teddy bear, who has sawdust in his head, and a number of poems. He considered himself to be a serious playwright and novelist. Under this paradox lived the life of Milne Alan Alexander, whose biography will be examined below.

Early life and education

In the family of the director of the private school in London John Vine and Sarah Mari Milne 18. 01.1882 the third son was born - Alan Alexander. AA Milne was educated at Westminster School, and then at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied mathematics. Simultaneously, together with his brother Kenneth, he published articles under the initials of AKM in the student magazine Grant. In 1903 he moved to London Milne Alan Alexander, whose biography will now be linked to his true vocation - literature.

War and the beginning of literary activity

Since 1906, he is published in the magazine "Punch", and humorous poems and essays are beginning to appear in other journals since 1914. In 1915 AA Milne went to serve as an officer in the British army. He was wounded in the Battle of the Somme. After recovery, he works in the service of propaganda for military intelligence and writes patriotic articles. In the rank of lieutenant, he is demobilized in 1919. During the war, he wrote his first play, but success comes after 1920, when the theaters appear comedy, favorably received by critics and the public. At the same time, according to his scripts, 4 films were shot. In 1922 he went to a detective called "Secrets of the Red House."

Marriage and literature

In 1913, on the eve of the war, A. Milne combined a marriage with Dorothy de Selkenkur. Indistinguishable was the personal life and military service of the writer, whose name was Milne Alan Alexander. His biography is replenished with 18 plays and 3 novels by 1925. And earlier he had a son, Christopher Robin (August 1920). In 1924, A. Milne released a collection of children's poems "When we were young" and buys a house in Hartfield in 1925.

At the same time, short stories for children "Children's Gallery" are published, which he later used to write his most popular work. Life and work went in parallel. So far, there was every reason to be satisfied with Milne Alan Alexander, whose biography began to change from 1926. It was from that time that he began to be perceived as a purely children's writer.

The cult fairy tale "Winnie the Pooh"

My son A. Milne had toys: a teddy bear, Piglet, Eeyore, Kang and Tiger. Below is their photo.

They are now in New York. They are visited every year to see 750 thousand people. Milne called the hero of his fairy tale "Winnie", after he saw in the zoo of the Canadian black bear from Winnipeg. "Pooh" came from a swan, which the writer met on vacation. So it turned out Winnie the Pooh. Three more characters - Owl, Rabbit and Ru were created solely by the imagination of the writer. In 1926, the first version of "Winnie the Pooh" was published. The following year, the sequel "Now we are six" was issued, and a year later the final appeared - "The House on the Downy Edge".

The first book immediately brought universal fame and money. The writer did not spin from fame and success. Staying in doubt about his literary talent, Milne Alan Alexander, whose biography and creativity in the minds of readers were tightly connected with Vinni, tried to escape from the established stereotype of the children's writer. But he was not let off by the charming heroes. The book was published in insane print runs, its number exceeded 7 million copies during Milne's lifetime. It was translated into all foreign languages. It created cartoons. She began to live an independent life, eclipsing everything, on which further worked A. Milne.

Life goes on

On the one hand, A. Milne was grateful to his wife and son for the creation of the book, and on the other - he did not introduce his son Christopher Robin to her. Milne read to the son of the work of his friend PG Wodehouse, whose work he admired. And the adult son then, in turn, educated his daughter Claire on the stories and stories of the amazing humorist Woodhouse.

Beginning in 1931, Alan Alexander Milne will write a lot. His books will not meet such enthusiastic reception, as the simple-hearted, slightly selfish Vinni. In 1931, the novel "Two" was published, in 1933 - "A very short sensation", in 1934 - the antiwar work "Honorable World", in 1939 - "Too Late" (autobiographical work), in 1940-1948 . - Poetic works "Behind the Front Line" and "Church Norman", in 1952 - a collection of articles "Year after Year", in 1956 - the novel "Chloe Marr".

The writer worked hard, and critics and readers with indifference and indifference met this creativity. Alan Alexander Milne was taken hostage by his charming hero, who immortalized his name.

Why is Vinny so attractive?

The story told by A. Milne fired like a salute with a volley of cheerfulness and cheerfulness. There is no struggle between good and evil, but there is a slight irony with which the author watches his characters, whom he settled in a fairytale forest very reminiscent of the neighborhood of his own house. Time in the fairy tale is frozen and does not change. Robin, the owner of toys, always 6 years old, Winnie - 5, Piglet - terribly much - 3 or 4 years! Plush Vinni is an optimist who meets every day with pleasure.

Problems and suffering are alien to him. He is a glutton and gourmet. When Rabbit invites him to choose what he will eat: bread with honey or with condensed milk, then, following the rules of good education, Sweetie Vinnie refuses three food items, leaving only honey and condensed milk. This becomes ridiculous. The bear cub has sawdust in his head, but he composes noise and chants. He is at any time ready to help his friends or to invent that he is a cloud, and get behind honey to the bees. Good fantasies are constantly born in his "smart" head. Other heroes are charming: the pessimist Donkey, the learned Owl, the educated Rabbit, the shy Piglet. All of them are waiting for praise and take themselves very seriously.

The ease and good-natured grin of the author make up a unique color of the whole story, which tells about friendship and mutual assistance, which are manifested when heroes get into jocular situations.

Last years

During the Second World War, the son of A. Milne Christopher tried to join the army, but did not go through it for medical reasons. Later he married his cousin, than grieved his parents. A. Milna was born granddaughter Claire, suffering from cerebral palsy. Father occasionally met with his son, and his mother did not want to see him. Sam A. A. Milne died after a serious brain disease (which began in 1952) in 1956 at his home in Hartfield.

Alan Alexander Milne: Interesting Facts

• The teacher at the school where A. Milne studied was G. Wells, whom the writer considered to be both a teacher and a friend.
• On his first birthday, the writer gave his one-year-old son a bear Teddy, whom he named Edward. Only in the book he turned into Winnie and was a year younger than her main character.

• The book was translated into 25 languages, including Latin.
• The number of sold records with the record of the book exceeded 20 million copies.
• Christopher Robin himself first became acquainted with the book sixty years after its creation.
• His father passed the toys to the United States. They can be viewed at the public library in New York.
• Images Winnie appeared on the stamps of 18 countries, including in the USSR after the release of the cartoon.
• A series of stamps of Canada on one depicts a lieutenant with a bear cub Winnipeg, the second - Christopher with a teddy bear, the third - heroes of classical illustrations to the book, and finally the fourth - Vinnie from the Disney cartoon.