Richmal Crompton

Born in Lancashire in 1890, Richmal Crompton studied classics and worked as a teacher before turning fully to writing. She went on to become one of the best-loved British children's authors of the 20th century, thanks largely to the Just William books, which began in the 1920s and followed the adventures of an irrepressible, trouble-making boy.

Although she is most closely associated with William Brown, her career was much broader than that. Crompton wrote numerous novels and short stories for adults as well as for younger readers, and her work often mixed comedy with a sharp eye for everyday life. Her storytelling stayed lively and accessible, which helped keep her books in print long after they first appeared.

She died in 1969. Today she is remembered above all for the energy, comic timing, and affection for childhood chaos that made Just William such an enduring success.