Readers have told us about their memories of Watership Down Author Richard Adams.
The writer, who lived for several years in the west of the island, has died aged 96.
The author of one of the most famous animal stories of all time, who moved with his family to Knocksharry in the 1970s, died peacefully on Christmas Eve.
A statement published on the book’s official website said: ‘Richard’s much-loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve.
Mr Adams was the son of a country doctor and was brought up in the rolling countryside with views towards the real Watership Down, on the Hampshire border.
Educated at Bradfield College, Berkshire, and at Worcester College, Oxford, he served in the Army for five-and-a-half years from 1940 to 1946.
Watership Down, first published in 1972, became one of the bestselling children’s books of all time. It has been translated into 20 languages and has sold more than 30 million copies.
Mr Adams did not begin writing until 1966, when he was working for the civil service. While on a car trip with his daughters, he began telling them a story about a group of young rabbits escaping from their doomed warren.
In an interview with the Guardian he said: ‘I had been put on the spot and I started off: “Once there were two rabbits called Hazel and Fiver.” And I just took it on from there.’
The book earned him the 1972 Carnegie Medal from the Library Association.
It was made into an animated film in 1978, and the following year the film’s theme song Bright Eyes, sung by Art Garfunkel, topped the UK charts for six weeks.
He also wrote Shardik, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs.
In an interview with the Oxford Times, he said he moved with his family to the island during the UK’s ‘creative tax period’, moving back across when the tax laws changed. ‘It was quite exciting, really, because apart from the fantastic bird-watching, my neighbours were Status Quo, Nigel Mansell and the Bee Gees.’
We asked readers on our Facebook page how they remembered him.
Lisa N Juan Moore: He crowned the Castletown carnival queen , in ‘79 I think. I was a flower girl & had to curtesy to him & hand him a posy of flowers.
Breesha Maddrell He mentioned the Bridge Bookshop in one of his novels, I think - was it in The Plague Dogs
Claire Klein: my mum Susan used to work in the fruit shop in Peel run by my nana. Richard was a regular, on the way to post the manuscript for Watership Down, he popped into the shop and asked my mum to help staple and package the manuscript before posting it!
Brenda Kay (in response to Claire Klein): Think it might have been girl on a swing. I remember photocopying that for him.
Melissa Mackie: Manx Radio asked a question who wrote Watership Down (for a prize on the radio) I lived across then but knew the answer and won 6 singles ! RIP
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