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In the Green Tree: The Letters & Short Stories of Alun Lewis
Through his letters home and six short stories, Alun Lewis paints a vibrant picture of life in India as a British serviceman during World War II. Intimate, vivid, observational, and always filled with emotion, this is a rare literary example of one Welshman’s experience of empire and war.
190 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
23 people want to read
About the author
Alun Lewis
44 books5 followersAlun Lewis (1915-1944) was born in Cwmaman. When he was 11, he won a scholarship to Cowbridge Grammar School, and it was here that he began to write well-crafted, thought-provoking fiction. A bright and sensitive boy, his talent for writing was evident from a young age and didn’t go unnoticed by his teachers; he had several stories, including ‘The Tale of the Dwarf’ and ‘The End of the Hunt’, published in his school magazine, The Bovian.
At 17 he won another scholarship to study History at Aberystwyth University, achieving first class honours, and in 1935 he moved to Manchester to study for his MA with the intention of becoming a teacher. When his training was complete he taught at Lewis Boys’ School in Pengam.
A pacifist by nature, Lewis appeared to have no intention of joining the army when the Second World War cast its shadow over Britain, but he eventually joined the Royal Engineers and later qualified as a Second Lieutenant despite how unhappy military life made him. He was stationed with the South Wales Borderers until December 1942, where he arrived at a new station in Nira, India. In the same year his poetry collection Raiders’ Dawn was published. It would be the only collection published during his lifetime.
Just over a year later, in February 1944, Lewis was moved to Burma. There he and his men fought the Japanese on the front line, despite Lewis’s rank meaning he could have remained at headquarters. Though he missed his wife, his family and his home, and struggled with severe depression, he was determined to fight for what he believed was right.
A month later, on the 5th March, 1944, Lewis was found shot in the head after shaving and washing, and died from the wound six hours later. He was 28 years old. Though it is widely believed to have been a tragic accident, there are others who believe Lewis’s death was a suicide. One thing we can be certain of is that his premature death was a great loss to Welsh, and indeed British, literature.
In 2015, Lewis's centenary year, Seren reprinted his Collected Poems, Collected Stories and Letters to My Wife, and also published his previously lost novel, Morlais.
At 17 he won another scholarship to study History at Aberystwyth University, achieving first class honours, and in 1935 he moved to Manchester to study for his MA with the intention of becoming a teacher. When his training was complete he taught at Lewis Boys’ School in Pengam.
A pacifist by nature, Lewis appeared to have no intention of joining the army when the Second World War cast its shadow over Britain, but he eventually joined the Royal Engineers and later qualified as a Second Lieutenant despite how unhappy military life made him. He was stationed with the South Wales Borderers until December 1942, where he arrived at a new station in Nira, India. In the same year his poetry collection Raiders’ Dawn was published. It would be the only collection published during his lifetime.
Just over a year later, in February 1944, Lewis was moved to Burma. There he and his men fought the Japanese on the front line, despite Lewis’s rank meaning he could have remained at headquarters. Though he missed his wife, his family and his home, and struggled with severe depression, he was determined to fight for what he believed was right.
A month later, on the 5th March, 1944, Lewis was found shot in the head after shaving and washing, and died from the wound six hours later. He was 28 years old. Though it is widely believed to have been a tragic accident, there are others who believe Lewis’s death was a suicide. One thing we can be certain of is that his premature death was a great loss to Welsh, and indeed British, literature.
In 2015, Lewis's centenary year, Seren reprinted his Collected Poems, Collected Stories and Letters to My Wife, and also published his previously lost novel, Morlais.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 27, 2015
From BBC Radio 4 - Drama:
Welsh poet Alun Lewis was born 100 years ago, in July 1915. This play by contemporary Welsh poet Owen Sheers is adapted from the letters and poems of Lewis, one of the most vivid and lyrical voices of the second world war. It charts one man's journey from pacifist to soldier, from husband to lover, and reveals how casualties of war are emotional as much as physical.
The play is introduced by Alun's widow Gweno Lewis
Welsh poet Alun Lewis was born 100 years ago, in July 1915. This play by contemporary Welsh poet Owen Sheers is adapted from the letters and poems of Lewis, one of the most vivid and lyrical voices of the second world war. It charts one man's journey from pacifist to soldier, from husband to lover, and reveals how casualties of war are emotional as much as physical.
The play is introduced by Alun's widow Gweno Lewis
May 18, 2021
There is something very touching about these set of letters, and not purely due to the context under which they were written (in wartime, while posted in India and Burma, days before his death). Lewis reflects on his upbringing, writing, family and love, while also looking to the future with his wife Gweno, and angrily addressing the state of imperial India.
The short stories range from political/military thrillers (The Raid, The Orange Grove) to a slightly ponderous tale about the outcomes of a group of wounded soldiers awaiting their medical hearings in a convalescent ward (Ward O3-B).
While some of the stories are more gripping than others, all feature an India which Lewis treats with both wonder and humanity.
A couple of excerpts from Lewis' letters:
I have a feeling that India will wake up to find far more Western things pouring into its flat and philosophical voids... and it will play havoc with the balance of their lives.
Dear Mother and Daddy, This is my big effort for the fortnight: I won't be able to write a comfortable letter for a while, as time is rationed... I'll begin again when I get peace... Don't worry if I don't manage to write you a lot.
The short stories range from political/military thrillers (The Raid, The Orange Grove) to a slightly ponderous tale about the outcomes of a group of wounded soldiers awaiting their medical hearings in a convalescent ward (Ward O3-B).
While some of the stories are more gripping than others, all feature an India which Lewis treats with both wonder and humanity.
A couple of excerpts from Lewis' letters:
I have a feeling that India will wake up to find far more Western things pouring into its flat and philosophical voids... and it will play havoc with the balance of their lives.
Dear Mother and Daddy, This is my big effort for the fortnight: I won't be able to write a comfortable letter for a while, as time is rationed... I'll begin again when I get peace... Don't worry if I don't manage to write you a lot.
March 13, 2012
Being proud of my Welsh heritage, I'm not exactly impartial when it comes to Welsh authors. That caveat aside, I really am glad I read this. Lewis was a truly great poet and a decent to good short story writer, but his stories offer keener glimpses into the man's psyche and tragically brief life.
March 20, 2015
Some of the short stories were OK, but on the whole I just didn't find the book (or the majority of his letters) very interesting. Sorry, Alun.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews