From Dickens to Gervais - Reading's literary history

Adam Hewitt • Last updated 23 Jan 2009 11:37 0 Comments

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IT MAY not be a Stratford or a Canterbury, but Reading has its own surprising share of literary associations.

Dennis Butts has brought them all together for the first time in a book chronicling the authors and poets who have made their homes or drawn their inspiration from Reading and the surrounding countryside.

Mr Butts, a retired head of English at the former Bulmershe College and a prolific writer, wrote From the Abbey to The Office over the past two years.

In his introduction to the book he says: "Reading can boast no world-famous literary figures like Shakespeare, nor has it produced major writers such as Thomas Hardy, the Bronte sisters or William Wordsworth, whose works have become almost synonymous with a particular geographical region."

But Mr Butts, of Church Road, Earley, added: "Reading is nevertheless the source of Britain's oldest polyphonic song with its world-famous lyrics - 'sumer is icumen in', on the wall of the Chapter House at the Abbey. It is also strongly associated with the beginnings of the novel."

One such book is a tale published in 1600 by Thomas Deloney, called Thomas of Reading, about a wealthy cloth trader murdered on his way to see the king in London, whose death has to be investigated by his wife.

The king in the novel dies and asks to be buried in Reading.

Later, 18th century poet Alexander Pope had his own Reading connection, having fallen in love with two sisters at Mapledurham House. He married neither, but still wrote poetry about Martha and Teresa Blount his whole life.

Oscar Wilde has perhaps the best-known relationship with the town thanks to his time in the prison, but even Charles Dickens had many dealings here.

He nearly became MP when Thomas Talfourd - himself a writer of some repute - decided in 1841 he could no longer do the job because it was so expensive and asked Dickens to stand.

Mr Butts said: "Dickens was very tempted, as a parliamentary reporter, but decided that just to stand as an MP would cost a lot - he was just a working man, a journalist, and declined."

But he did later come to the town, bringing his charitable amateur theatre twice to the Town Hall in 1851 on invitation from the mayor. He returned in December 1854, on his friend Talfourd's death, and gave a reading of A Christmas Carol at the Mechanics' Institution in London Street - now known as Great Expectations.

The book has similar tales about plenty of other writers - including DH Lawrence, Wilfred Owen and Elizabeth Taylor - but its most modern is Ricky Gervais. Mr Butts said: "Some people I talked to when writing the book were somewhat toffee-nosed about including him, but look at The Office scripts - he's an important Reading writer."

The book, published by Reading's Two Rivers Press, is available at all town bookshops.

- AN 1898 first edition of Oscar Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol, one of only 800 original copies, sold at auction in New York last week for $22,500.

It was a presentation copy inscribed and signed by Wilde: "Maurice Eilbert, from his friend, the Author. Paris, '98."

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 01 Jan 09

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