Yorkshire: A Literary Landscape

by David Stuart Davies (Editor)

A gorgeous anthology to dip into and savour the rich literary heritage of Yorkshire, Britain’s largest county. Yorkshire is renowned for its landscapes: the magical wilderness of the moors and the dales, its cities built on industry and mining, and its varied coastline.

All these places, as well as its people, have been portrayed and dramatized in literature through the centuries; by poets from Andrew Marvell to Simon Armitage, by novelists such as Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Bram Stoker, and of course the Brontës, all of whom are represented here. Then there are novelists such as David Storey and Barry Hines, who wrote about working-class lives in the mining towns in the 1950s and 60s. And finally some favourite characters to enjoy, such as James Herriot and the Yorkshire Shepherdess.

Yorkshire: A Literary Landscape is edited by David Stuart Davies.

Genres: Nonfiction

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 16, 2023

About the author

David Stuart Davies was a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies wrote extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He was the editor of Red Herrings, the monthly in-house publication of the Crime Writers' Association, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars and the Detection Club.

Reviews

[Andrew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a highly interesting survey of Yorkshire's literary roots. It divides into poetry and prose, and the Brontes, of course, loom large in both. At the end, I was left highly entertained, but sensing a number of quibbles relating to what was included and what was excluded. Dickens finds a place in the Victorian valley because Bowes was the source for Dotheboys Hall. But is he really a Yorkshire author? And the same objection could be aimed at Defoe. Yes, part of Robinson Crusoe was composed in Halifax but it hardly says "Yorkshire" like the Brontes! Davies's poetical choices are very puzzling. Armitage is included, but is represented by a bizarre poem about physical violence. Surely, a poem focusing on the landscape around Marsden in Magnetic Fields would have been more appropriate. Davies includes some major modern novelists: Brain, Hines, Herriot, Storey, but no Barstow or Phinn (whose name is synonymous with the Yorkshire Dales). And how can Harrison be omitted? He was born in Beeston, Leeds, and V is a major C20 poem.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little anthology which I read after a holiday to the Yorkshire Dales. It features short extracts from poetry, short stories and novels by a wide range of authors from or inspired by Yorkshire. It’s a quick read but enjoyable and left me with a few things I’d like to follow up and read properly. All I would say is that like many anthologies, there’s an emphasis on older (presumably, free to use) material. It would have been interesting to read some more modern takes on Yorkshire too.

[Aina Serrano Bach · Rating 3 out of 5]

cannot wait for sheffield

[Sophie Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet book.