Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832–1898), born in Cheshire, England, the third of eleven children. He developed a love of word play and riddles at an early age, inventing games and puzzles for his brothers and sisters. He was educated at Rugby School and Christ Church College, Oxford, where in 1855 he became a lecturer in mathematics. In 1862, on a boating picnic, Carroll made up a story to tell a group of children, among them the eleven-year-old daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, Alice Liddell. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published three years later and became a publishing sensation, beloved by children and adults alike. Carroll soon began work on another book featuring his inquisitive young heroine and based on the idea of a chess game. His enchanting sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, was published in 1871.