William Bowen (author)

William Bowen
BornWilliam Bowen
(1877-05-15)May 15, 1877
Baltimore, Maryland, US
DiedSeptember 18, 1937(1937-09-18) (aged 60)
California
OccupationWriter
NationalityAmerican
GenreChildren's literature, fantasy
Notable works

William Alvin Bowen (May 15, 1877–September 18, 1937) was an American attorney who wrote several children's books in the 1920s.[1][2] His most notable work was The Old Tobacco Shop, a fantasy novel that was one runner-up for the inaugural Newbery Medal in 1922.[3]

Bowen was born in Baltimore, Maryland, earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Maryland in 1898, and worked in his father's law office until 1904, when he moved to Los Angeles. There he was a member of the Olympic Committee as attorney for the 1932 Summer Olympics. He was also a member of the California and Southern California Historical Societies.[1]

Bowen's first children's book was The Enchanted Forest, a fantasy novel published by Macmillan late in 1920. His second was The Old Tobacco Shop, one year later.[2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wagner was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference LAT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922–Present". American Library Association. Retrieved 2015-05-04.