1929 to 1947 Children’s Literature
Children’s literature: Arthur Ransome’s timeline, part 5
1929
- Jan: The Altounyans leave for Aleppo.
- Mar 19: Ransome gives the Manchester Guardian three months notice.
- Mar 24: Begins writing Swallows & Amazons.
- Jun 30: Ransome’s close friend, Ted Scott, the Manchester Guardian’s editor, persuaded Ransome to continue work, writing the paper’s prestigious Saturday essay.
- Jul 13: Ransome’s first Drawn at a Venture weekly essay published in the Guardian.
- Jul 22: Rod and Line published.
- Sep 13: Ransome’s last Rod and Line fishing essay published in the Guardian.
- Nov: Travels to Egypt to report on elections. Meets Malcolm Muggeridge and Somerset Maugham.
1930
- Feb: Returns from Egypt and completes the revisions for Swallows & Amazons.
- Jul 21: Swallows and Amazons published.
1931
- Nov 2: Swallowdale published.
1932
- Jan 2: Ransome’s last Drawn at a Venture weekly essay published in the Guardian.
- Jan: Arthur and Evgenia set off for Aleppo to visit the Altounyans.
- Feb 1: Arrive in Aleppo.
- Apr 13: Leave Aleppo.
- May 1: Arrive back at Low Ludderburn.
- Oct 1: WG Collingwood died.
- Oct 24: Peter Duck published.
1933
- Autumn: Ransome suffers acute appendicitis whilst cruising on the Norfolk Broads.
- Autumn: Convalesces with Evgenia in St Mawes, Cornwall.
- Nov 13: Winter Holiday published.
1934
- Spring: Spends 3 weeks cruising on the Broads with Evgenia, researching Coot Club.
- July: Acquires a new dinghy, Coch-y-bonddhu.
- Nov 26: Coot Club published.
1935
- Sold Swallow.
- Summer: Sold Low Ludderburn and moved to Broke Farm, Levington, Suffolk.
- Sep 8: Ransome purchases Electron, a 7 Ton Hillyard Cutter, in Poole. He renamed her Nancy Blackett and sailed her back to Pin Mill.
1936
- Jan: Begins work on We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea.
- Jun: Sails Nancy Blackett to Holland, testing We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea’s plot.
- Nov 13: Pigeon Post published.
1937
- Jun 1: Received the first Carnegie Medal from the Archbishop of York in Scarborough, for Pigeon Post. The medal was awarded by the Library Association (now CILIP).
- Nov 12: We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea published.
1938
- Winter: Begins to write The Big Six (shelved in favour of Secret Water).
- Spring: Commissions Selina King from the Pin Mill boatbuilder, Harry King.
- Sold Nancy Blackett.
1939
- Apr 3: Moved to Harkstead Hall
- Aug: Ivy Walker died.
(Sep 3: Britain declares war on Germany)
- Autumn: Sailed Selina King to Lowestoft, to be laid up for the duration.
- Nov 28: Secret Water published.
1940
- Jan: Resumed The Big Six.
(Continuous): Air raids increasingly disturb Ransome’s ability to sleep and thus work.
- Oct 1: Purchased The Heald, Coniston.
- Nov 29: The Big Six published.
1941
- Dec 5: Missee Lee published.
1943
- Jun 28: The Picts and the Martyrs published.
1944
Began work on Great Northern? and The River Comes First.
1945
- May: Ransome and Evgenia visit the Outer Hebrides for research.
(May 8: War in Europe ends).
- Jun 1: Leave The Heald.
- Oct 12: Arrive at 12, Weymouth St, London.
- Dec: Work begins on Ransome’s fourth yacht, Peter Duck, at Harry King’s, Pin Mill.
1946
- Oct: Ransome sells Peter Duck.
- Nov: Ransome re-purchases Peter Duck.
1947
- Second research visit to the Outer Hebrides.
- Aug 25: Great Northern? published.