John Masefield

Born in Ledbury, Herefordshire, in 1878, John Masefield became one of the best-known English writers of the early 20th century. After training as a merchant seaman and spending time in the United States, he returned to England and began writing poems shaped by his experiences at sea, helping to give his work its energy, movement, and strong sense of place.

He is especially remembered for sea poems such as Sea-Fever and Cargoes, as well as the long narrative poem The Everlasting Mercy. In 1930, he was appointed Poet Laureate, a role he held until his death in 1967. Alongside his poetry, he also wrote novels, plays, memoirs, and children’s books.

For many readers, his warmest legacy is in children’s literature. The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights remain his most loved fantasies, filled with mystery, humor, and wonder. Together, his books show a writer equally at home with rough weather, everyday speech, and moments of real enchantment.