Letters from Walter de la Mare

This collection includes a total of 23 Walter De la Mare letters dating from 1926 to 1953 including: 14 letters to Mrs. Verity (7 autograph letters signed and 7 typed letters signed); 3 autograph letters signed to Marie Lamigeon; 6 typed letters signed to various other people. More perspective on Walter De la Mare's thinking can be understood regarding this important and accomplished English poet and novelist.

The poet, novelist, and anthologist Walter De La Mare was born in Charleton, Kent, on 25 April 1873. He was educated at St. Paul's Cathedral Choristers' School in London. From 1890 until 1908, De La Mare worked for the Anglo-American Oil Company in London. However, after the appearance in 1902 of his Songs of childhood, under the pseudonym of Walter Ramal, he spent more and more time writing and his first novel Henry Brocken was published in 1904. A large output of poems, stories, novels, books for children and anthologies continued throughout the rest of his life. His production includes Poems (1906), The return (1910), The listeners (1912), Peacock pie (1913), Memoirs of a midget (1921), Come hither (1923), Behold, this dreamer (1939), The Burning Glass (1945), The Traveller (1946), Inward Companion (1950), and O Lovely England (1953). He was made Companion of Honour in 1948, and received the Order of Merit in 1953. Walter De La Mare died in Twickenham on 22 June 1956. He was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Generally open for consultation, but some material may be covered by Data Protection legislation. Please contact repository for details about access to the collection in advance of any visit.

Purchased in August 2017. Accession no SC-Acc-2017-0173.

Catalogued by Aline Brodin in November 2017.