Genre Children's literature Name Racey Helps | Role Author | |
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Occupation Children's author, illustrator Died 1970, Barnstaple, United Kingdom Education Bristol Cathedral Choir School | ||
Racey helps at home
Angus Clifford Racey Helps (1913–1970) was an English children's author and illustrator. His books were written in a simple style and feature woodland creatures and birds, with illustrations by the author. He is known also for illustrating postcards, greeting cards, jigsaw puzzles, playing cards and wrapping paper.
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Biography
Helps was born in Bristol in 1913 to Clifford R. Helps and his wife Dorothy (née Davis), who had married in Cardiff in 1911. He spent his childhood in the hamlet of Chelvey, Somerset. He was privately educated at a vicarage and later at Bristol Cathedral School. On leaving school he entered the antiquarian book business and attended the West of England College of Art.
Helps married Irene Orr on 8 April 1936. A daughter, Anne, was born in July 1937, and a son, Julian, in 1949 or 1950. He used to tell his young daughter a bedtime story every night. His first success as an author and artist came during World War II with stories written for her. When the war came, Anne was packed off to a less noisy part of the country, but she still insisted on her story, and so Helps wrote them down for her, drew pictures to illustrate them, and sent them to her.
During that time, Racey and his wife Irene Helps lived in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, and were hosts to many young American soldiers based in the town, besides running a hairdressing salon. On one occasion a publisher happened to drop in and pick up one of Helps's handwritten, illustrated booklets. Helps was invited to London to discuss publication of future work. He was published initially by Collins and later by the Medici Society. He contributed to several children's annuals published by Collins. Much of his work was published also in the United States. At least ten of his picture books appeared in German. At least one appeared in Danish.
The Helpses' son Julian was born in 1949. For a while the family lived in Clevedon, Somerset, then moved to Saltford near Bath, and then in 1962 to Barnstaple, Devon, where the scenic countryside provided further inspiration for Helps's pictures.
Racey Helps suffered a fatal heart attack at his Barnstaple home in 1970, at the age of 57.