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  1. Culture
15 December 2011updated 27 Sep 2015 4:03am

Words in pictures: Russell Hoban

The late author discusses his penchant for writing songs and rhymes.

By Rebecca Lloyd

The cult writer and author of Riddley Walker died yesterday, aged 86.

Hoban is famous for creating Frances, a young girl who appeared in the guise of a badger, in seven children’s books, such as Bedtime for Frances and A Birthday for Frances. In total he penned over 50 children’s books, illustrating many himself.

His most famous adult novel was Riddley Walker, which established his reputation as a profoundly original novelist. The science-fiction work, set 2,000 years in the future after a nuclear war has ended civilisation, is famous for its poetic representation of what language might sound like in a post-apocalyptic world.

In the clip below, Hoban discusses the use of rhymes and songs in Riddley Walker.

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