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Rudyard Kipling

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Rudyard Kipling was a famous English writer who shaped modern storytelling.

Collier 1891 rudyard-kipling
Collier 1891 rudyard-kipling

He was a journalist, a poet, and a novelist. Many people know him for his wonderful children's books.

Rudyard Kipling by Sir Philip Burne-Jones 1899
Rudyard Kipling by Sir Philip Burne-Jones 1899

He wrote *The Jungle Book* in 1894 and its sequel in 1895. He also created the classic book *Kim* in 1901. His *Just So Stories* came out in 1902.

Rudyard Kipling three quarter length portrait (cropped)
Rudyard Kipling three quarter length portrait (cropped)

Kipling was a master of the short story. Many critics believe he helped change how people write them. His gift for telling stories was truly luminous.

Kipling's life moved between two very different worlds. He was born in Bombay, India, in 1865.

Malabarpoint governmenthouse bombay
Malabarpoint governmenthouse bombay

His father, John Lockwood Kipling, was a famous sculptor and professor. His mother, Alice, was a very lively woman. When he was five, Kipling moved to England.

Kiplingsengland3
Kiplingsengland3

He lived in Southsea with a family called the Holloways. Kipling called this time the "House of Desolation." He felt the people there were unkind to him.

Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936 writer and Nobel Laureate lived here as a boy 1871-1877
Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936 writer and Nobel Laureate lived here as a boy 1871-1877

He later said this hard time helped his writing.

By the age of sixteen, Kipling returned to India.

Lahore railway station1880s
Lahore railway station1880s

He went to Lahore to work for a newspaper. He served as an assistant editor for the *Civil and Military Gazette*.

Rudyard Kipling in his study at Naulakha Dummerston VT circa 1895
Rudyard Kipling in his study at Naulakha Dummerston VT circa 1895

He loved his work at the newspaper very much. He wrote many poems and stories for the paper. In 1886, he published his first collection of poems called *Departmental Ditties*. Working in India gave him many new ideas. He felt his English years fell away when he returned.

Map british india kipling en
Map british india kipling en

He began to think and dream in different ways.

Kipling achieved great success during his career. In 1907, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Joseph Rudyard Kipling, Vanity Fair, 1894-06-07 (Yale)
Joseph Rudyard Kipling, Vanity Fair, 1894-06-07 (Yale)

He was the very first writer to receive this prize. At age 41, he was also the youngest winner ever. He was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom.

William Strang The author Rudyard Kipling
William Strang The author Rudyard Kipling

He was even asked to be the British Poet Laureate. However, he chose to decline that honor. After he died in 1936, he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

His ashes rest in the famous Poets' Corner.

Today, people have many different thoughts about Kipling's work.

Kiplingseastcoast2
Kiplingseastcoast2

Some people admire his incredible skill at telling stories. Others disagree with his political ideas about the British Empire.

Sukh Niwas Palace, Bundi, circa 1900
Sukh Niwas Palace, Bundi, circa 1900

The writer James Joyce thought Kipling had great natural talent. However, Joyce also thought his ideas were too extreme.

Because the world has changed, his reputation has changed too. He remains a very important figure in literary history. People still study his books to understand the past. He is a force that people still talk about today.

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🖼️ Images & Media (28)
File:Malabarpoint governmenthouse bombay.jpg
Malabarpoint governmenthouse bombay.jpg
File:Map british india kipling en.svg
Map british india kipling en.svg
File:Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936 writer and Nobel Laureate lived here as a boy 1871-1877.jpg
Rudyard Kipling 1865-1936 writer and...
File:Kiplingsengland3.jpg
Kiplingsengland3.jpg
File:Lahore railway station1880s.JPG
Lahore railway station1880s.JPG
File:Sukh Niwas Palace, Bundi, circa 1900.jpg
Sukh Niwas Palace, Bundi, circa 1900.jpg
File:John Lockwood Kipling és Rudyard Kipling.jpg
John Lockwood Kipling és Rudyard Kipling.jpg
File:Collier 1891 rudyard-kipling.jpg
Collier 1891 rudyard-kipling.jpg
File:Rudyard Kipling three quarter length portrait (cropped).jpg
Rudyard Kipling three quarter length...
File:Rudyard Kipling in his study at Naulakha Dummerston VT circa 1895.jpg
Rudyard Kipling in his study at Naulakha...
File:Kiplingseastcoast2.JPG
Kiplingseastcoast2.JPG
File:Caroline Starr Balestier, Mrs Rudyard Kipling (1862-1939).jpg
Caroline Starr Balestier, Mrs Rudyard...

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