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Charles HamiltonEnglish writer
Date of Birth: 08.08.1876
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Charles Hamilton
Charles Hamilton, an English writer, is considered to be the most prolific author in the world. Throughout his literary career, he is believed to have written around 100 million words, earning him a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Hamilton was known for writing serialized stories for weekly magazines, often featuring recurring characters.
Writing Career
Hamilton wrote under various pseudonyms, changing them for each major series. Some of his most famous pen names include Frank Richards for the Greyfriars School series, Martin Clifford, Owen Conquest, Peter Todd, and Ralph Redway. He also wrote several stories under his own name.
Hamilton began his literary career when one of his stories was accepted for publication almost immediately. In the following years, he became the main author for his publisher, Trapps Holmes, writing thousands of stories on various topics ranging from police and firefighters to detectives, westerns, and humorous tales. In 1906, Hamilton started writing for Amalgamated Press while continuing to be published and reprinted in Trapps Holmes until 1915.
The School Series
In 1907, Amalgamated Press launched a new newspaper called "The Gem" featuring stories for boys. By the 11th issue, the newspaper had established its permanent format, with Hamilton's stories under the pseudonym Martin Clifford about events in the fictional St Jim's school becoming the main content. The series gained popularity, leading the publisher to launch another similar publication, "The Magnet," in 1908. Under the name Frank Richards, Hamilton wrote stories about Greyfriars School.
In 1915, Hamilton, this time as Owen Conquest, started a series about a third school called Rookwood. The protagonist of this series was Jimmy Silver, and the stories were published in "Boys' Friend Weekly" and were shorter compared to the previous two series.
These stories about the three schools became Hamilton's most famous works and were incredibly popular among readers, although they initially received little attention from critics. "The Gem" continued until December 1939, while "The Magnet" closed in 1940 due to a paper shortage caused by the war. After "The Magnet" ended, Hamilton's work dwindled, and an interview with the "London Evening Standard" brought him fame as the author of these countless stories. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue the Greyfriars School series as Amalgamated Press, the holder of the copyright, did not release him. Hamilton had to create two new schools, Carcroft and Sparshott, and attempted to write a full novel under the name Winston Cardew.
In 1946, however, he obtained permission to publish Greyfriars School stories again and signed a contract with Charles Skilton publishing house for the release of the first volume in hardcover, which was published in September 1947. Hamilton continued this series until the end of his life, as well as writing series about other schools. His stories were adapted into a television series by the BBC.
Personal Life
Charles Hamilton was born on August 8, 1876, in Ealing, London, as one of eight children. He never married but mentioned several romantic attachments in his autobiography. His hobbies included studying Latin, ancient Greek, and modern languages, playing chess, making music, and gambling. He even traveled extensively throughout Europe in his youth but stayed in England after 1926, living secluded in a small house in Kingsgate, Kent. He was taken care of by his housekeeper, Miss Edith Hood. Charles Hamilton passed away on December 24, 1961, at the age of 86.
