Richard Armstrong (author)
Encyclopedia
Richard Armstrong was an English author
who wrote for both adults and children. He was the winner of the Carnegie Medal
in 1948 for his book Sea Change
. He is also known for a biography of Grace Darling
in which he challenges the conventional story: Grace Darling: Maid and Myth. He is often described on the cover of his books as "author and mariner".
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, Northumberland
on the 18th June, 1903. He was a blacksmith's son who left school at thirteen to work in a Tyneside
steelworks. He spent three years there, starting as an errand boy and progressing to greaser, labourer and crane driver. His book Sabotage at the Forge, set in a steelworks, is highly regarded for its accurate and effective description of a boy's experience in such an environment. The Whinstone Drift is similarly convincingly set against a Northumberland coal-mining background.
After the First World War he went to sea in the Merchant Service and for seventeen years sailed in many types of vessel, gaining the experience which he later put to use in his books about seafaring. . In 1937 he left the Merchant Service and pursued various occupations, finally concentrating on his writing. He drew on his wide-ranging experiences at sea, writing about, for example, cargo steamers (Passage Home), oil tankers (No Time for Tankers), and whalers (The Secret Sea).
He had a son, John, to whom he dedicated his book Sailor's Luck. He died in 1986.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who wrote for both adults and children. He was the winner of the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
in 1948 for his book Sea Change
Sea Change (Armstrong novel)
Sea Change is a children's novel by Richard Armstrong. A contemporary seafaring adventure set on a cargo ship, it was the winner of the Carnegie Medal for 1948.- Plot introduction :...
. He is also known for a biography of Grace Darling
Grace Darling
Grace Horsley Darling was an English Victorian heroine who in 1838, along with her father, saved 13 people from the wreck of the SS Forfarshire.-Biography:...
in which he challenges the conventional story: Grace Darling: Maid and Myth. He is often described on the cover of his books as "author and mariner".
Biography
Ralph Richard Armstrong was born in WalbottleWalbottle
Walbottle is a village in Tyne and Wear. It is a western suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne. The village name, recorded in 1176 as "Walbotl", is derived from the Old English botl on the Roman Wall...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
on the 18th June, 1903. He was a blacksmith's son who left school at thirteen to work in a Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
steelworks. He spent three years there, starting as an errand boy and progressing to greaser, labourer and crane driver. His book Sabotage at the Forge, set in a steelworks, is highly regarded for its accurate and effective description of a boy's experience in such an environment. The Whinstone Drift is similarly convincingly set against a Northumberland coal-mining background.
After the First World War he went to sea in the Merchant Service and for seventeen years sailed in many types of vessel, gaining the experience which he later put to use in his books about seafaring. . In 1937 he left the Merchant Service and pursued various occupations, finally concentrating on his writing. He drew on his wide-ranging experiences at sea, writing about, for example, cargo steamers (Passage Home), oil tankers (No Time for Tankers), and whalers (The Secret Sea).
He had a son, John, to whom he dedicated his book Sailor's Luck. He died in 1986.