Richmal Crompton Author of Just William: A Literary Life celebrates the first two William
books Just William (1922) and More William (1922). As well as a study of her famous character
William Brown this book is an introduction to Richmal Crompton's less well-known fiction and a
story about her writing life. Her multifaceted identity-her deep knowledge of Classical Greek
and Latin literature and languages her life as a disabled writer and her writing about
domestic violence and disability-played a role in her literary persona. Jane McVeigh moves
beyond Richmal Crompton's impact on children's literature and offers an appraisal of all her
writing including her novels and short fiction her media profile on radio and TV her impact
on her readers-both adults and children-and her international success. Particularly McVeigh
considers Crompton in the context of twentieth century woman writers and the development of
crossover fiction for dual audiences. Thebook argues that as a woman writer pigeon-holed as a
writer for children Crompton's other novels and short stories have been side-lined and
overlooked. More than a century after the first book collection of Crompton's William stories
was published this biography places Richmal Crompton among other twentieth century women
writers.
