THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS 100th Anniversary

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, British author Kenneth Grahame’s riverbank tale of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger, was published on October 8, 1908 to mild success.  However, once President Teddy Roosevelt gave it his hearty approval, it took off on both sides of the pond and has been a staple of every children’s classics library since.

To celebrate the book’s 100th Anniversary, the Bank of England Museum is displaying Kenneth Grahame’s letter of resignation along with other correspondence of his. 

He had worked for the bank for 30 years when he decided that “For some time past I have been forced to realise that the constant strain entailed upon me by a post of much responsibility [being secretary of the bank]…  I feel strongly that even at heavy cost I ought to seek relief from the burden.”  So, on June 15th, 1908, he quit his long-time position.  Only 4 months later, his best-known work was printed.

Grahame had written light stories in his youth for London periodicals, some of which were collected and published as books (PAGAN PAPERS, THE GOLDEN AGE) but none were as popular or as successful as THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS.  Originally begun as a series of bedtimes stories and letters to his son, Alastair aka “Mouse”, the stories would never have seen the light of day if Mouse’s governess hadn’t save the letters after reading them to him.  When an American agent came to Grahame’s home in Berkshire to see if he had written anything lately (it had been almost 10 years since he had published last) , the letters and notes were the only things even close to being printable.  Expanding them into a full-blown book, he sent the finished work to the agent, only to be turned down.  (Seems the agent wasn’t expecting stories about wild animals given Grahame’s previous works about very realistic people…)  However, he was able to find a British publisher, and so the first edition was born.  After Roosevelt’s resounding approval, the American publishers thought better of the book (amazing, eh?) and also came out with an edition.  (Lucky for us!)

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS was the last book written by Kenneth Grahame even though he lived another 24 years after its publication.  (His son, Alastair, upon whom Mr. Toad was based, committed suicide in 1920, a few days before his 20th birthday after years of ill-health.)  But the tales live on – many authors who grew up reading the book have written their own adventures of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger for us all to share…