Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) was an English writer, mathematician, logician, philosopher, deacon, and photographer. His best-known works are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the humorous poem The Hunting of the Snark.

He was born on January 27, 1832, in the rectory house in the village of Daresbury, Cheshire. There were seven girls and four boys in the family altogether. He began his education at home and proved to be intelligent and quick-witted. He was left-handed; according to unverified reports, he was forbidden to write with his left hand, which traumatized his young psyche (this is believed to have led to his stutter). At the age of twelve, he entered a small private school near Richmond. He liked it there. But in 1845 he had to enter Rugby School, where he liked it considerably less.

In early 1851 he moved to Oxford, where he entered Christ Church, one of the most aristocratic colleges at Oxford University. He did not study very well, but thanks to his outstanding mathematical abilities, after receiving his bachelor's degree he won a competition for a mathematics lectureship at Christ Church. He gave these lectures for the next 26 years; they provided a good income, although he found them boring.

He began his writing career while studying at college. He wrote poems and short stories, sending them to various magazines under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. Gradually he gained recognition. From 1854 his works began to appear in serious English publications: The Comic Times, The Train.

In 1856 a new dean appeared at the college — Henry Liddell, who arrived together with his wife and five children, among whom was four-year-old Alice.

In 1864 he wrote his famous work Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. He also published many scientific works on mathematics under his own name. One of his interests was photography.

He died on January 14, 1898, in Guildford, Surrey. He was buried there as well, together with his brother and sister, at Mount Cemetery