Richard Hughes was born on April 19, 1900, in England. He graduated from Oxford in 1922, and, as a young man, he enjoyed the Bohemian lifestyle. For a period of time, he lived as a beggar and street performer in Europe. Ever the nomad, he traveled throughout Canada, the West Indies, Europe, and the United States, frequently using his experiences as the basis for his writings.
Hughes's writings include novels, plays, poetry, and short stories. He drew acclaim in 1929 with his first novel, A High Wind in Jamaica, also published under the title The Innocent Voyage. Set in the 19th century, a group of children traveling from Jamaica to England are captured by pirates. The children soon wreck havoc with the pirates, bringing about their downfall. The irrational and carefree world of children is realistically depicted in this entertaining novel.
Hughes's other writings are marked by fresh ideas and characterizations. His Human Predicament Series includes the novels The Fox in the Attic and The Wooden Shepherdess. These books are part of a historical series depicting the events between the two world wars. Hughes died of leukemia on April 28, 1976, before completing the third, and final, volume of the work.
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