Robert Arthur Leeson (31 March 1928, Northwich, Cheshire[1] – 29 September 2013)[2] was an English author, mainly known for his children's books. Before becoming a writer, he worked as Literary Editor of the left-wing British newspaper the Morning Star.[3]
Leeson was a prolific writer, having had more than 70 books for young people published between 1973 and 2003. His books include several historical novels, such as Beyond the Dragon Prow, about a crippled Viking boy.[4] Leeson produced a trilogy about a British family in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: Maroon Boy (1974), Bess, and The White Horse (1977). The White Horse revolves around a young man who fights on the Roundhead side during the English Civil War.[5] Leeson also wrote The Third Class Genie (1975) (a humorous fantasy novel), and the science-fictionTime Rope (1986) and Zania Experiment (1993) series.[3][4] Leeson wrote social realist novels such as It's My Life (1980), about a teenage girl who has to look after her family after her mother walks out on them.[3]Silver's Revenge is a humorous sequel to Treasure Island, and Candy for the King is a fairytale about a giant influenced by Voltaire's Candide.[4] Leeson's Reading and Righting: the past, present and future of Fiction for the young (1985) is a history of children's literature. He also wrote for radio, television and the theatre.
Bibliography
United We Stand (1971)
Strike (1973)
Beyond the Dragon Prow (1973)
Maroon Boy (1974)
The Third Class Genie (1975)
The Demon Bike Rider (1976)
Children's Books and Class Society (1977)
The White Horse (1977)
The Cimaroons (1978)
Challenge in the Dark (1978)
Silver's Revenge (1978)
Travelling Brothers (1979)
It's My Life (1980)
Harold and Bella, Jammy and Me (1980)
Bess (1983)
Candy for King (1983)
The People's Dream (1983)
Mum and Dad's Big Business (1983)
Genie on the Loose (1984)
The Adventures of Baxter and Co. (1984)
Reading and Righting: The Past, Present and Future of Fiction for the young (1985)
