Winifred Mary Letts

Winifred Mary Letts (1882 – 1972) was an English writer, with strong Irish connections, known for her novels, plays and poetry.

She was born in Manchester or Cheshire, of an English father and Irish mother. She spent many childhood holidays in Knockmaroon, Phoenix Park, Dublin which was her mother's home. After her father's death, she and her mother returned to Ireland and lived in Blackrock, County Dublin. She was educated first in Bromley, Kent and later at Alexandra College in Dublin.

She was married in 1926 to William Henry Foster Verschoyle, of Kilberry, County Kildare; they lived in Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin and County Kildare. After his death she settled for many years in Faversham, Kent. She returned to Ireland and bought Beech Cottage in Killiney, Co. Dublin where she lived, until finally moving to Tivoli Nursing Home, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin in the late 1960s. She died in 1972 and is buried in Ireland.

Her first poetry collection, "Songs from Leinster", was published in 1913. Before that some of her poems had been set to music by C. V. Stanford. She had begun by writing drama. She continued to write novels and children's fiction; and published poems in 1916 of World War I, during which she worked as a nurse.

Her poem "The Deserter" (written in 1916), describes the feelings and fate of a man terrified by the war, is often used in collections of First World War poetry.

Works

*The Story-Spinner (1907)
*Waste Castle (1907)
*The Quest of the Blue Rose (1910)
*Bridget of all Work (1909)
*Diana Dethroned (1909)
*The Rough Way (1912)
*Naughty Sophia (1912)
*The Mighty Army (1912)
*Songs of Leinster (1913)
*Helmet & Cowl: Stories of Monastic and Military Orders (1913) with M. F. S. Letts
*Christina's Son (1916)
*Hallow-e'en and Poems of the War (1916)
*The Deserter (1916)
*The Spires of Oxford, And Other Poems (1917)
*Corporal's Corner (1919)
*What happened Then? (1921);
*More Songs of Leinster (1926)
*St Patrick the Travelling Man. The Story of his Life and Wanderings (1932)
*Knockmaroon (1933)
*Pomona & Co. (1934)
*Pomona's Island (1935)
*The Gentle Mountain (1938)

External links

* [http://oldpoetry.com/authors/Winifred%20Mary%20Letts Selection of her verse at Oldpoetry.com]