Author: Berquin, Arnaud
Biography:
BERQUIN, Arnaud (1747-91: WBIS)
French poet, journalist, and writer for children. Born in Bordeaux, he worked in Paris as the tutor to the daughters of the editor of the Mercure de France and later of the Moniteur universel, to which he also contributed. He made his name with a monthly publication of moral tales in prose, L'Ami des enfants (1782-3)--promptly translated (in English, as The Children's Friend) and often reprinted. The ODCL judges his writings "more pleasant and less stilted" than most didactic literature of the period, and observes that "he did not altogether denounce fairy stories." The original English poetry in the titles published in Britain and America in this period appears all to be the work of the translator, Mary Stockdale (q.v.) (Wikipedia 25 Nov. 2017; ODCL) HJ
Other Names:
- M. Berquin