Lilies in the garden; roses on the wall;
Apples in the orchard - there's plenty for us all.
Some prefer the apples, and some prefer the rose;
But I always think the lily is the fairest flower that grows.
'A Rime' by Amy Stevens
Jo of the Chalet School, 1926
Throughout her writing life, Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, author of the Chalet School series, published verses, rhymes, carols and pantomime songs in her books. Few people knew until recently that four notebooks of unpublished verse had survived, dating from Brent-Dyer's student days in the 1910s through to the mid-1940s.
Nearly 200 poems are included in this volume - the vast majority of them are published here for the very first time. Many of the verses are serious in tone, reflecting on the deep issues of the day including the coming of the World Wars. Others are light-hearted pastiches of popular verse of the day. The first notebook contains sonnets, many of which have been blue-pencilled by her teacher. A second notebook sees Brent-Dyer gathering together her Love Songs and Lullabies, and the remaining notebooks include verses from the days before she became a published writer through to 1946. Many of the poems are dated, a number are dedicated to friends, and identifying them will surely bring in a rich harvest to those interested in tracing the events of Brent-Dyer's life against her development as a writer.
Edited by Joy Wotton.
Buy your copy of this exclusive book of verse.