Walter de la Mare was born on April 25th 1873 at Charlton which was then in Kent. It was only in 1902 that he was able to first publish with Songs of Childhood using the name Walter Ramal. Writing would not support him or his family for some time to come but in the next few years he wrote two supernatural novels and much poetry which culminated in Peacock Pie being published in 1913. A writer of perhaps a 100 short stories these together with his works for children give an undoubted breath to his legacy which include essays and his marvellous anthology for children ‘Come Hither’. By 1947 Walter’s health suffered due to a coronary thrombosis. He was made a companion of honour in 1948, and received the Order of Merit on 1953. Three years later on June 22nd 1956 at the age of 83 Walter de la Mare died of another coronary thrombosis. His ashes are buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, where he had once been a choirboy.
