Henry Williamson’s oeuvre is extensive: he published over fifty books in his lifetime.  He also wrote hundreds of articles and short stories in newspapers and magazines, which are being collected and published by the Society.

 

His writing falls into clear groups:

 

Nature writings, of which Tarka the Otter and Salar the Salmon are the most well known, but which also include, amongst many others, The Peregrine's Saga, The Old Stag and The Phasian Bird.

 

Henry Williamson served throughout the First World War. The Wet Flanders Plain, The Patriot's Progress, and no less than five books of the 15-volume Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight (How Dear is LifeA Fox Under My Cloak, The Golden Virgin, Love and the Loveless and A Test to Destruction) cover the reality of the years 1914–1918, both in England and on the Western Front.

 

A further grouping concerns the social history aspect of his work in the 'Village' books (The Village Book and The Labouring Life), the four-volume Flax of Dream and the volumes of the Chronicle of Ancient Sunlight.  But all of these groups can be found in any of his books.

 

Some readers are only interested in a particular aspect of his writing, but to truly understand Henry Williamson’s achievement it is necessary to take account of all of his books, for their extent reflects his complex character. The whole of life, the human, animal and plant worlds, can be found within his writings. He was a man of difficult temperament but he had a depth of talent that he used to the full.

 

An important resource on our website is A Life's Work. This is a descriptive bibliography of Henry Williamson's writings, title by title. Written by Anne Williamson and utilising rare archive material, it is not a bibliography in the strict sense of the word, but literally a description of each book – a synopsis; the circumstances behind Henry’s writing of it; Henry’s life at the time; and its critical reception. Anne Williamson is uniquely placed to write this, having both such an intimate knowledge of the writings and access to Henry’s journals, diaries and archive; we are fortunate indeed in being able to work with her in publishing this work here.

 

A Life's Work

 

Books by Henry Williamson

 

Books about Henry Williamson

 

Society Publications - chiefly collections of newspaper and magazine articles by Henry Williamson