Arthur Grimble

Sir Arthur Francis Grimble (Hong Kong, 11 June 1888 – London, 13 December 1956) was a British civil servant and writer.

After joining the Colonial Office, he became a cadet administrative officer in the Gilberts (1914) and became resident commissioner of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1926.

Specialist in the myths and oral traditions of Kiribati people, he learned the Gilbertese language.

He wrote A Pattern of Islands (London, John Murray 1952, published in US as We chose the Islands) and Return to the Islands (1957) which were best-sellers. In 1956 a film Pacific Destiny was based on his experiences. A Pattern of Islands was republished by Eland, London in 2011, ISBN 978-1-906011-45-1

The best book on his scientific work on the Gilbertese culture has been published by Henry Evans Maude, Tungaru Traditions: writings on the atoll culture of the Gilbert Islands, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1989, ISBN 0-8248-1217-4

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