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Alan Aleksander MilneEnglish playwright, poet, storyteller, author of classic books of English children's literature
Date of Birth: 18.01.1882
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Alan Alexander Milne
- Early Career
- Writing for Children
- Winnie-the-Pooh
- Later Works and Adaptations
- Legacy
Biography of Alan Alexander Milne
Childhood and EducationAlan Alexander Milne, an English writer of Scottish origin, spent his childhood in London, where his father worked at a school. He grew up in a family that encouraged creativity, and from a young age, he composed funny poems and showed talents in exact sciences. Milne attended Trinity College, Cambridge, studying mathematics.
Early Career
During his college years, Milne fulfilled his long-standing dream of becoming the editor of the magazine "Granta," for which he wrote poems and stories. Eventually, Milne abandoned his studies and moved to London, where he started working for the magazine "Punch." In 1913, he married Dorothy de Sélincourt, the goddaughter of the magazine's editor, Owen Seaman.
Writing for Children
In 1920, Milne's only son, Christopher Robin, was born. When Christopher turned three, Milne began writing poems about him, devoid of sentimentality and accurately capturing children's egocentrism, imagination, and stubbornness. The tremendous success of his poetry book, illustrated by Ernest Shepard, inspired Milne to write fairy tales such as "Prince Rabbit" (1924), "The Princess Who Couldn't Laugh" and "The Green Door" (both 1925), and in 1926, he wrote "Winnie-the-Pooh."
Winnie-the-Pooh
All the characters in Milne's book, including Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo, except Rabbit and Owl, were found in Christopher's nursery (the original toys that served as prototypes are now kept in the Teddy Bear Museum in the UK). The topography of the Hundred Acre Wood resembles the surroundings of Cotchford Farm, where the Milne family spent weekends. Each character possesses memorable traits and charm, and the ending of the book "The House at Pooh Corner" is touchingly lyrical.
Later Works and Adaptations
The overwhelming success of the Winnie-the-Pooh books overshadowed the rest of Milne's work, including the detective novel "The Red House Mystery" (1922), the novels "Two People" (1931) and "Chloe Marr" (1946), essays, plays, and his autobiographical book "It's Too Late Now" (1939). In 1966, Walt Disney released the first animated film based on Milne's book, "Winnie-the-Pooh." This film, which lasted just under half an hour, depicted the adventures of a boy named Christopher Robin and his beloved toy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh. The film was seen by millions of children in cinemas and on television. By animating Milne's characters, Disney and his team of artists aimed to preserve the style of Ernest Shepard's original illustrations, which were as beloved as the stories themselves.
Legacy
Undoubtedly, "Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Tree" gained wide recognition because the treasure of world children's classics was faithfully transferred to a different form. In subsequent years, several animated sequels were released, including television adaptations. From 1969 to 1972, three animated films directed by Fyodor Khitruk, "Winnie-the-Pooh," "Winnie-the-Pooh Pays a Visit," and "Winnie-the-Pooh and the Day of Concern," were released by the USSR's Soyuzmultfilm studio, winning the hearts of the young audience in the Soviet Union.
