Rev. W. Awdry
1 book
Reverend Wilbert Awdry (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997) was an English Anglican cleric, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He is best known for creating The Railway Series of books, which formed the basis for the popular television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
Awdry was born in Ampfield, Hampshire, England, and was educated at St Peter's School, Seaford, East Sussex. He was ordained as a deacon in 1936 and as a priest in 1937. He served as a curate in the Church of England for two years before becoming a vicar in 1940.
Awdry was a lifelong railway enthusiast, and his interest in railways began when he was a child. He wrote his first book, The Three Railway Engines, in 1945, and it was published in 1946. This was the first of the Railway Series books, which eventually grew to 26 titles.
The Railway Series books were adapted for television in 1984, and the show, Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, became a worldwide phenomenon. Awdry wrote several more books for the series, and he also wrote other books for children, including Sodor: Reading Between the Lines and The Thomas the Tank Engine Man.
Awdry was awarded an OBE in the 1996 New Year Honours for services to children's literature. He died in 1997 at the age of 85.
