The manuscript for Watership Down was rejected by four publishers and three literary agencies before Rex Collings agreed to print the work in 1972. This debut novel, which originated as an improvised story told to his daughters during a car journey, transformed the author from a career civil servant into a permanent figure in contemporary English literature.
Early Life and Military Service
Born in Newbury in 1920 to Lillian Rosa and Evelyn George Beadon Adams, Richard Adams attended Horris Hill School and Bradfield College. He entered Worcester College, Oxford, in 1938 to read Modern History. In 1940, he joined the British Army, serving as a brigade liaison within the Royal Army Service Corps. His military deployments included Palestine, East Asia, and Europe, though he saw no direct combat. After the war, he returned to Oxford to complete his bachelor's degree in 1948.
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Following his graduation, Adams joined the British Civil Service, rising to the rank of Assistant Secretary within the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. He practiced writing in his spare time, eventually dedicating two years to drafting his first novel. Following its 1972 release, Watership Down garnered significant acclaim, winning both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. In 1974, after publishing Shardik, he resigned from his civil service post to pursue writing full-time.
Advocacy and Later Career
Adams was a committed advocate for animal welfare, serving as president of the RSPCA from 1980 to 1982. He also maintained roles with Cruelty Free International and Animal Aid. His 1977 novel, The Plague Dogs, functioned as a satire on laboratory animal experimentation. Later in his career, he served as a writer-in-residence at the University of Florida and Hollins University. In 2015, the University of Winchester awarded him an honorary doctorate.
Fast facts
- Born: 1920, Newbury, United Kingdom
- Died: 2016, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Education: Bradfield College, Worcester College
- Major Work: Watership Down (1972)
- Awards: Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
- Professional Membership: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- RSPCA Presidency: 1980–1982
- Honorary Doctorate: University of Winchester, 2015
Questions readers ask
What was Richard Adams's professional background before he became a full-time author?
He worked for the British Civil Service, eventually reaching the rank of Assistant Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
Why did Richard Adams resign from the RSPCA?
He resigned in 1982, stating that the organization appeared more preoccupied with internal affairs than with the welfare of animals.
Achievements
- Carnegie Medal — 1972
- Genres: fantasy
