The Silver Sword: A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation

About Ian Serraillier

Ian Serraillier (September 24 1912 - November 28 1994) was a British novelist and poet. Serraillier was best known for his children's books especially the Silver Sword (Novel) (1956) a wartime adventure story which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1957 and again in 1971. Born in London Serraillier was educated at Brighton College and took his degree at St Edmund Hall Oxford. He became an English teacher first at World War II. It was during this period that his first published work appeared in the form of poetry for both adults and children. In 1946 his first children's novel was published. It was followed by several more adventure stories of treasure and spies. His best known work The Silver Sword was published in 1956 and has become a classic bringing to life the story of four refugee children and their search for their parents in the chaos of Europe immediately after World War II. As well as children's novels and poetry Serrailler produced his own retellings of classic tales in prose and verse including Beowulf Chaucer and Greek myth. Together with his wife Anne he founded the New Windmill Series in 1948 published by Heinemann Educational Books which set out to provide inexpensive editions of good stories. He continued as co-editor of the series until the onset of Alzheimer's disease