James Matthew Barrie
 |
| James Matthew Barrie |
James Matthew Barrie was born in 1860 in Kirriemuir, Scotland. He was the second of ten children in a rich family. When he was six, his brother David, who was 13, died in a skating accident. His mother never got over this loss and James tried to comfort her by behaving as David used to do. He often listened to his mother’s tales about her childhood, until he imagined himself in them. James’s parents never paid much attention to him, maybe this behavior provoked that James did not develop properly in puberty and was very short during all his life. In addition, he was slim and he had a childlike voice. When he was older he went to Edinburgh University where he graduated in 1882.
Afterwards, he started writing articles for journals. In 1885 he moved to London and he managed to get regular money working as a writer. In 1894 he married an actress, Mary Answell, but later they got divorced. In 1897, Barrie met the Llewelyn-Davies family in Kensington gardens. The family was composed by Arthur, Silvia and their five boys George, Jack, Peter, Michael and Nico. James used to play with them and they inspired him to create Peter Pan. James Barrie became rich and famous thanks to this fascinating play. When Arthur and Silvia died, James took care of the five children until his death in 1937, leaving the copyright of his story to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.
 |
| James Matthew Barrie and his dog Phortos |
 |
| Michael Llewellyn-Davies dressed as Peter Pan |
 |
Peter,George and Jack Llewellyn-Davies
J.M Barrie and Michael Llewellyn-Davies
The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.
|
If you are interested in J.M. Barrie's life and works, here are some web pages you can look at:
