British poet and novelist, probably best known for his novel, “Memoirs of a Midget,” 1921.
The son of an official at the Bank of England, and reputed to be related to Robert Browning through his mother, De La Mare grew up in relatively privileged circumstances. He attended St. Paul’s Cathedral Choir School in London until age 16 when he took a job in the accounting department of Anglo-American Oil Company where he worked from 1890 to 1908. His first book, “Songs of Childhood,” 1902 was published under his pen name, Walter Ramal.
Although De La Mare began his writing career in 1895, it wasn’t until he was awarded an annual government pension in 1908 that he devoted himself to his passion. His interest in the macabre was revealed in a number of stories that dealt with the supernatural, including “The Return,” 1910, an eerie story of spirit possession. His first truly successful work, “The Listeners and Other Poems,” was released in 1912. A number of his books were composed of children’s stories and verse including the successful “The Three Mulla Mulgars,” 1910, later re-titled “The Three Royal Monkeys.”
De La Mare continued to write for the remainder of his life. He lived quietly in Taplow in Buckinghamshire with his wife and their four children. In 1948, he was made a Companion of Honour, and in 1953, he was awarded the Order of Merit. De La Mare died on 6/22/1956, Twickenham, near London, and was buried at St. Paul’s Cathedral. (His death is listed as 1953, 1956 and 1958 in different accounts.)
Link to Wikipedia biography