Were the Just William stories written for adults or children? _Just William_ is an enduring series of stories about an errant schoolboy from a solidly upper-middle class family in Edwardian England. Due to their subject and humorous nature they are typically perceived as children's literature. However, it is quite common online to find claims that their author, Richmal Crompton, originally intended them for an adult audience. There is some circumstantial evidence for this: she also wrote a lot of adult literature and the density of language in the stories is beyond most children at William's 11-12 years of age. On investigation, I cannot find any solid evidence to support this supposition. Did Crompton intend the stories for an adult audience?

Well, Richmal Crompton did say in a radio interview that when she started writing these 'Just William' stories, her intention was to write those stories for adults about children.

Listen to the interview :

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The relevant transcript:

> Well I began to write them entirely for adults about children. And they were published in these magazine stories, adult magazines, for adults about children. But they've gradually drifted onto the shelves of junior libraries in libraries and shops. So now I find myself occasionally writing down a bit, but I try not to.