Walter De la Mare

Born in 1873, he became one of the distinctive English literary voices of the early 20th century, writing poetry, short stories, novels, and beloved verse for children. Reliable reference sources agree that he is especially remembered for children’s writing, for the poem The Listeners, and for unsettling short fiction with a psychological edge.

Before writing full-time, he worked in the London office of the Anglo-American Oil Company. Critics have often described his gift as an ability to catch fleeting, ghostly, half-seen moments, and that quality runs through much of his work, whether he was writing about childhood, dreams, or the supernatural.

He died in 1956, but his reputation has lasted because his writing is both gentle and strange: musical on the surface, yet full of mystery underneath. Readers who enjoy atmospheric language, quiet fantasy, and subtle chills often find him rewarding.