About Jerome K Jerome

On leaving school at the age of fourteen, Jerome Klapka Jerome started out as a clerk at Euston Railway Station. He became an actor, but also tried his hand at teaching and journalism, his early humorous pieces becoming quite popular. His first books to be published were On the stage and off (1885) and Idle thoughts of an idle fellow (1886). Three years later his most famous work came with the story of a rowing holiday on the River Thames, Three men in a boat. From 1892 he edited and contributed to magazines such as The idler and a weekly magazine called To-day, but he was forced to sell his interests in 1897 following an expensive libel action. He now concentrated on the theatre and one of his best plays, modelled on J.M. Barrie, is The passing of the third floor back (1907).