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Richard Adams lived in relative obscurity for the first 52 years of his life. When he finally finished writing a book, he faced significant challenges finding a publisher.
Born Richard George Adams on 9 May 1920 in Newbury, Berkshire, he was the son of a country doctor and grew up amidst the rolling countryside near the actual Watership Down on the Hampshire border. One of his earliest memories involved seeing a man pushing a cart filled with dead rabbits, which made him realize that rabbits were real creatures, not just imaginary beings.
At age nine, Adams was sent to boarding school, where he reportedly had a miserable experience, common for middle-class boys of his time. He earned a scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, but his education was interrupted by World War II, during which he served five years in the Army before resuming his studies. Later, he joined the civil service and worked on the clean air program aimed at reducing pollution from coal fires in British homes. His life changed during a car trip with his family to see Twelfth Night in Stratford-upon-Avon. To entertain his bored children, he began telling a story about rabbits fleeing their endangered warren.
Encouraged to write the story down, Adams spent over two years completing it but initially struggled to find a publisher. Many rejection letters cited the book’s length and the fact that his rabbits did not fit the typical image of cuddly animals. His portrayal included realistic behaviors like defecation, mating, and violent fights for dominance. Finally, in 1972, after 14 rejections, Rex Collings recognized its potential and published it with an initial print run of 2,500 copies.
The book quickly became a classic of children's literature, selling more than 50 million copies. It gained popularity through BBC radio readings and a stage adaptation in London's Regent's Park. Watership Down was especially successful in the US, where it was marketed as an adult book. During promotional tours in America, Adams embraced the stereotype of the English gentleman, wearing a bowler hat and demanding English marmalade and mustard. The novel, along with a 1978 animated film, became closely associated with rabbits; one butcher even advertised, "You've read the book, you've seen the film, now eat the cast."
The book faced criticism from some literary critics, with one remarking, "There is something to be said for myxomatosis." The newfound wealth allowed Adams to retire from the civil service and become a full-time author. He also moved to the Isle of Man for tax reasons, though he later returned to southern England. By the time Watership Down was published, he had already begun writing his second novel, Shardik, which he considered his best work.
Shardik is an epic about a bear worshipped as a god in a fictional world, who suffers abuse from humans. The novel received mixed reviews, with some calling it "preachy," a critique Adams acknowledged. His passion for animal welfare was further expressed in his third novel, The Plague Dogs, a vehement critique of animal experimentation. Although Adams admitted his anger over vivisection may have influenced the book, it became another bestseller.
Adams served as president of the RSPCA but clashed with conservative council members when he tried to push for a more activist approach. He resigned just before a vote that would have limited his authority. Despite his advocacy, he denied being sentimental. For example, he did not oppose the gassing of rabbits on the real Watership Down in 1998 after their burrows threatened the hill’s stability. He once stated, "If I saw a rabbit in my garden I'd shoot it."
Throughout his career, Adams wrote over 20 books, including The Girl in a Swing, a ghostly romance with erotic undertones, and Maia, a prequel to Shardik criticized for its sexual and sadomasochistic themes. None of these matched the success of Watership Down, and even the 1997 sequel, Tales from Watership Down, failed to recapture the original’s magic. Adams was a quintessential Englishman, fond of the countryside and nostalgic for the past. It is perhaps surprising that this conservative, middle-class man authored a book that revolutionized children’s literature.
Richard Adams passed away on Christmas Eve 2016 at the age of 96.
