The Carnegie Medal awarded in 1947 to Walter de la Mare for his Collected Stories for Children marked the first time the honour was granted to a short story collection. As a prolific poet, novelist, and critic, he transitioned from a career in corporate statistics to an influential figure in early twentieth-century English literature.
Early Life and Corporate Career
Born in 1873 at Charlton, Walter John de la Mare attended St Paul's Cathedral School. From 1890 until 1908, he worked within the statistics department at the London offices of Standard Oil. His departure from the firm followed the securing of a Civil List pension, an arrangement facilitated by Sir Henry Newbolt to allow him to pursue a full-time writing career.
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De la Mare produced a diverse range of work, including psychological horror, adult fiction, and children's literature. His novel Memoirs of a Midget secured the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1921. His 1910 fantasy, The Three Mulla Mulgars, later retitled The Three Royal Monkeys, earned lasting acclaim. Beyond his own creative prose and poetry, he edited the anthology Come Hither, first published in 1923, which synthesized poetry and prose with a narrative framework.
Supernatural Horror
His short fiction, particularly ghost stories, gained significant attention from contemporaries like H.P. Lovecraft. Collections such as Eight Tales, The Riddle and Other Stories, The Connoisseur and Other Stories, On the Edge, and The Wind Blows Over highlight his command of atmospheric dread. Specific stories frequently cited for their impact include 'Seaton's Aunt', 'The Green Room', and 'All Hallows'.
Philosophy of Imagination
De la Mare proposed a duality in human cognition categorized as the childlike and the boylike imagination. He argued that childhood is defined by a contemplative, visionary state that gradually retreats as the external world demands analytical and deductive reasoning. This framework informed his perspective on the creative process, suggesting that great poets operate at the intersection of these two distinct mental modes.
Fast facts
- Born: 1873, Charlton
- Died: 1956, Twickenham
- Education: St Paul's Cathedral School
- James Tait Black Memorial Prize: 1921
- Carnegie Medal: 1947
- Burial: St Paul's Cathedral
- Career: Writer, poet, literary critic
- Citizenship: United Kingdom
Questions readers ask
What were the primary genres Walter de la Mare wrote in?
He wrote poetry, children's literature, prose fiction, and psychological horror short stories.
Where is Walter de la Mare buried?
His ashes are interred in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Achievements
- James Tait Black Memorial Prize — 1921
- Carnegie Medal — 1947
- Order of Merit
- Genres: lyric poetry
