James Stephens Biography
Irish Fairy Tales

In James Stephens biography he is known for retelling many of the Irish fairy tales and why...

James Stephens was born in the slums of Dublin, Ireland, February 9, 1882. He wrote novels but he was also a poet.

He met George William Russell, who was an Irish poet, and encouraged him and helped him in his first publication.

His first book of poems was published in 1909, entitled "Insurrections".

Stephen had a difficulty childhood but it doesn't reveal itself in his writing. His father died at age two and his mother remarried when he was six. But she left him and he ended up in a somber cruel life at the Meath School, a Protestant Industrial School for boys.

He published The Greatest Miracle, his first story through Arthur Griffith at The United Irishman, 16 September, 1905. He later became Griffith's friend and worked for his magazine, Sinn Fein.

From there on he took an interest in politics, attending the Gaelic League classes and became involved in political discussions.

He then began writing article about the Irish national pride and how important the Irish folklore, language, and customs were.

In 1916 he witnessed a man being shot, when the Easter Uprising in Dublin took place, and his patriotic emotions became stronger and focused on old Irish literature. He wrote a collection of poems that were later published in 1928.

He wrote some books too, The Irish Fairy Tales in 1920 and Deirdre in 1923. And about twelve years later he befriended with James Joyce. Many of his colleagues referred to him as a genius, a writer of many talents with delightful characters.

His works dealt with philosophy, fantasy and a spark of humor. He is a beloved to the Irish as he portrayed them passionately and was quite unique in his period. He passed away in London on December 26, 1950.

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