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About Richard Adams
He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, Juliet and Rosamond, on a trip to Stratford-on-Avon, to see a play. They insisted he publish the tale as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.
Others of his books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal was always to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down! His last work, 'The Adventures of Eggbox Dragon', which is a picture-book for younger children, will be published posthumously by Hodder in 2017. It was written when he was 93.
During his later years Richard and his wife Elizabeth lived in Whitchurch, Hampshire, very close to Watership Down, and not far from where they had both grown up. He wrote about his childhood and youth, including the time he served in the army in World War II, in his biography 'The Day Gone By'.
During the last year of his life he kept a blog: https://www.watership-down.com/blog/. He died peacefully on Christmas Eve 2016.
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The estate of Watership Down author Richard Adams has won back all of the rights to the late author’s classic novel about anthropomorphised rabbits, in a high court ruling against the director of the famed animated adaptation.
The high court in London ruled on 27 May that Martin Rosen, the US director of the 1978 adaptation of Adams’s novel, had wrongly claimed that he owned all rights to the book, in which a group of rabbits fight to survive the destruction of their warren.9 months ago Read more -
Blog post
A court in England has ruled in favor of Watership Down Enterprises, the estate and family of author Richard Adams, in an action brought against producer Martin Rosen, who wrote and directed the 1978 animated film of Adams’ novel “Watership Down.”
In a judgment issued on May 27, Rosen and companies controlled by him were ordered to pay the estate court costs and an initial payment for damages totaling approximately $95,000 within 28 days for infringing copyright, agreeing una9 months ago Read more -
Blog post
To celebrate the centenary of Richard Adams’s birth, watch the daughter of Richard Adams, Juliet Johnson, and actor and narrator of Watership Down, Peter Capaldi discuss one of the most beloved novels of our time.
You can see the full video here.
9 months ago Read more -
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Blog post
“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”
– Watership Down
Watership Down By Richard Adams Celebrate the centenary of Richard Adams’ birth, on May 9th, 2020 by reading the beloved classic childre10 months ago Read more -
Blog postI don’t think it’s entirely because I am trapped in lockdown with a free-range rabbit (favourite food: soft furnishings and important documents left lying around) that I have revived my interest in Watership Down, the greatest tale of plucky rabbits ever penned. There’s also an anniversary to celebrate. In fact, two. The author of this epic yarn, Richard Adams, would have been 100 this Saturday (he died in 2016). And before that, of course, we have the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
The10 months ago Read more -
Blog postWhen a newspaper columnist wants to write about a novel, the rule is that you’re supposed to have a “hook,” an excuse, a timely reason to bring up the book in question. Maybe an anniversary-of-publication, maybe an authorial death, maybe a Nobel Prize. I have none of those for this column, but I think my hook is better: I’m writing about “Watership Down” because I’m reading Richard Adams’s 1972 novel to my daughters, and in that reading I’ve decided that the book has real relevance to the cri1 year ago Read more
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Blog postA new Watership Down audiobook is available now, narrated by Peter Capaldi. Peter Capaldi also starred as Kehaar in the recent Watership Down series.
List now on audible
One of the most beloved novels of our time, Watership Down is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage, and survival.
Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren; he felt sure of it. They had to leave immediately. So begins a long and perilous journey of2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe BBC/Netflix animated television miniseries of Watership Down has won in the Best Special Class Animated Programme category at the daytime Emmy awards in Hollywood. Holding the award are producers Josh Varney, Noam Murro and Rory Aitken. The series was made by 42 Productions in London. Richard recorded the pronunciations of lapine for the miniseries before his death in 2016.
2 years ago Read more -
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Blog postWatership Down was a major BBC feature last Christmas in two feature-length episodes following the determined Hazel (voiced by James McAvoy) and clairvoyant Fiver (Nicholas Holt) at they sought a home in the save haven of Watership Down.
It has received major acclaim and has been nominated for Emmy awards in six categories.
The series is currently available on Netflix in more than twenty languages throughout the world.
2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThis weekend, London’s BFI Southbank premiered episodes 1 and 2 of the upcoming BBC1 4-part Watership Down mini-series. Six years in the making, audience members had an early opportunity to return to Richard Adams’ beloved novel, brought to life by an all-star cast of actors and Brown Bag Films’ beautiful and distinctive animations.
During the credits, the audience were treated to the first public listening of Sam Smith’s brand new song, Fire On Fire, written specifically for the show2 years ago Read more
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Here is the enchanting sequel to the beloved classic Watership Down, which introduced millions of readers to an extraordinary world of rabbits—including Fiver, Hazel, Bigwig, Dandelion, and the legendary hero El-ahrairah. Tales From Watership Down returns to these unforgettable characters, and also presents new heroes as they struggle to survive the cruelties of nature and the shortsighted selfishness of humankind, embark on new adventures, and recount traditional stories of rabbit mythology, charming us once again with imagination, heart, and wonder. A spellbinding book of courage and survival, these tales are an exciting invitation to come home to a beloved world.
THE BOSTON GLOBE
A lyrical, engrossing tale, by the author of WATERSHIP DOWN, Richard Adams creates a lyrical and engrossing tale, a remarkable journey into the hearts and minds of two canine heroes, Snitter and Rowf, fugitives from the horrors of an animal research center who escape into the isolation--and terror--of the wilderness.
About the Author
Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist best known as the author of Watership Down.
He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, and they insisted he publish it as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.
Others of his books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal is to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down!
Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England.
About the Author
Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist, author of Watership Down, Shardik, Maia, The Plague Dogs, Traveller, Tales from Watership Down and many other books.
When Watership Down, his first novel, was finally published, after many rejections, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972. To date it has sold over 8 million copies and been translated into many languages, including Cherokee and Chinese.
Richard's goal is to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down! Three of his novels, including The Girl in a Swing, have been filmed so far.
About the Author
Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist best known as the author of Watership Down. He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, and they insisted he publish it as a book. When finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972. Others of Richard’s books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal is to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down! Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England. He has written about his childhood and youth, including the time he served in the army in World War II, in 'The Day Gone By'.
About the Author
Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist best known as the author of Watership Down. Initially rejected by several major publishing houses, Watership Down went on to sell over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States and has become a modern classic.
Others of Richard's books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal is to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down!
Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England.
About the Author
Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is an English novelist best known as the author of Watership Down.
He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters to while away a long car journey, and they insisted he write it as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.
Others of his books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal is to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down!
Richard Adams currently lives in Hampshire, England.