Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932)

Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish and British writer, a classic of children's literature.

Kenneth was orphaned early and lived with relatives, attending St. Edward's School in Oxford. He then served at the Bank of England and published magazine articles and collections of sketches, short stories and essays - Pagan Notes (1893), The Golden Age (1895) and Dream Days (1898), The Reluctant Dragon.

The Wind in the Willows, the book that made Kenneth Grahame famous, began as bedtime stories for his son and was first published in 1908. It was later illustrated by master illustrator Arthur Rackham. Its characters are the timid Mole, the clever Rat, the Badger and the insanely energetic Toad. They all talk and act like humans and have human vices, but have typical animal behavior at the same time. Both children and adults enjoyed the story. This book, which is now considered one of the most famous works in world children's literature, has been adapted many times for stage, screen and radio.