Here at the Wyndham, we thought we’d take a look at some of the tomes local writers have scribbled over the years. Two of the books mentioned in our below list of five were published last year, one by Joyce Latham (which is a new edition) and the other two we go on to mention were published in the early to mid-1970s.
Where I belong: A Forest of Dean Childhood in the 1930s
Joyce Latham was particularly well-known in the Forest of Dean for her poetry but from time to time she also turned to prose. This is a new edition of the first book she ever had published, in which she remembers the 1930s and later the war years. In the book, Joyce outlines her life in the close-knit mining community in which she grew up, together with her love of the woodlands and glades where she would regularly escape to.
The Royal Secret
The latest in a series of historical crime novels by the local author Andrew Taylor, The Royal Secret involves witchcraft, a captive lion and the designing of a poultry house for King Charles II’s love object. Published last year, this is another of the award-winning authors James Marwood and Cat Lovett thrillers. But what is the secret at the heart of the book – the one that threatens not just England, but Europe too?
Earthworks
Stewart Carswell’s 1921 book Earthworks looks at the connection between our landscape and the relationships we have. The poet grew up in the Forest of Dean and the industrial heritage of the area is one subject he explores in this book. Other locations that he pores over include parts of the West Country and Offa’s Dyke in Gloucestershire.
@BenRayThePoet: “These poems are deeply rooted in a sense of place, revealing unexpected vantage points and new expanses in seemingly familiar scenes; they share the insight gained from a genuine love for, and understanding of, these landscapes.”
Hide and Seek
Created by one of the Forest of Dean’s most famous and prolific writers, Hide and Seek is Dennis Potter’s first novel. The book relates a complicated relationship between the main character (Daniel Miller) and the book’s author (Potter). Penned in 1973, it features the Forest of Dean as a welcome refuge for Miller when he flees from London after his wife leaves him. His doctor is perplexed by his patient who tells him he has the feeling he is a character in a book…
A Child in the Forest
Another tale of growing up in the Forest of Dean, Winifred Foley actually put together a trilogy. A Child in the Forest is the first (and which was later adapted for BBC One’s Women’s Hour in 1973), followed by Back to the Forest and ending with No Pipe Dream for Father. Today, a bench at the top of May Hill in the Forest commemorates her love of the area, being inscribed for both her and her late husband.
