De la Mare, << duh luh MAIR, >> Walter (1873-1956), was an English author noted for his Romantic works for both adults and children. He wrote poems, short stories, novels, and plays distinguished by a unique mixture of dreams, reality, and the supernatural. De la Mare also edited books for children. His anthology of prose and verse called Come Hither (1923) is a children’s classic. De la Mare’s best collections of poetry include Peacock Pie (1913) and Bells and Grass (1942). His most popular short stories were published in Collected Stories for Children (1947). Perhaps his best-known work for adults is the novel Memoirs of a Midget (1921), a romantic fantasy about society as seen through the eyes of a young woman with dwarfism. De la Mare was born in Charlton, near London, on April 25, 1873. He died on June 22, 1956. See also Listeners, The; Regina Medal.
