The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander

Passionate about writing, Alexander believed he could preach and worship God through his writing and his art. In addition to being interested in art, at age thirteen, Alexander wanted to become an Episcopalian priest however, his family could not afford to send him to divinity school. Alexander read Shakespeare, Dickens, Mark Twain and myths, especially King Arthur. After his father Alan, a stockbroker, bankrupted in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Alexander attended public school, where he skipped yet another grade, entering seventh grade at age nine. He and his friends played at war, using equipment from World War I in their games.

His parents only read newspapers, but they did buy books 'at the Salvation Army to fill up empty shelves.' He taught himself to read around age four and skipped grades one and two at a private Quaker school. Lee Library at Brigham Young University contains a permanent Lloyd Alexander exhibit which showcases several items from his home office including his desk, typewriter, and manuscripts and editions of his books.Īlexander was born in Philadelphia on Januto Edna (née Chudley) and Alan Audley Alexander, and grew up in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, a section of Upper Darby just west of the city. Alexander received three lifetime achievement awards before his death in 2007.

His interest in Welsh mythology led to the publication of his series The Chronicles of Prydain.Īlexander was nominated twice for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award, and received the 1971 National Book Award for Children's Books for The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian and the 1982 National Book Award for Westmark. After returning to the United States with his new family, he struggled to make a living from writing until he published And Let the Credit Go (1955), his first autobiographical novel. He met his wife while he was stationed in France and studied French literature at the University of Paris. He enlisted in the United States Army and rose to be a staff sergeant in intelligence and counter-intelligence. He attended college for only one term, believing that there was nothing more college could teach him. He developed a passion for reading books and writing poetry. National Book Awards in 19.Īlexander grew up in Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. His most famous work is The Chronicles of Prydain, a series of five high fantasy novels whose conclusion, The High King, was awarded the 1969 Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature. Over his seven-decade career, Alexander wrote 48 books, and his work has been translated into 20 languages. Lloyd Chudley Alexander (Janu– May 17, 2007) was an American author of more than forty books, primarily fantasy novels for children and young adults.

The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander