author
William Canton
1845–1926
Best known today for graceful children's books and literary writing, this British author also lived an unusually wide-ranging life that began in China and stretched through Jamaica, France, and Britain. His work blends imagination, faith, and a strong feeling for childhood.
1 Audiobook
A Child's Book of Saints
by William Canton
About the author
Born on October 27, 1845, in Chusan (now Zhoushan), China, William Canton grew up across several countries after his father died when he was young. He was educated in France, spent time preparing for the Catholic priesthood, and later became a Protestant.
Canton built a career as a poet, journalist, and editor, including many years writing for Glasgow newspapers and editing the Glasgow Weekly Herald. He also wrote a major multi-volume History of the British and Foreign Bible Society, showing how comfortably he moved between literary work and religious history.
He is now best remembered for his children's books, especially The Invisible Playmate and the related books he wrote for his daughter, Winifred Vida. Those stories helped give him a lasting place in children's literature, while his poetry and prose reveal a writer with both warmth and seriousness.