, announced on the title page as the work “of the author of
Mrs Leicester’s School” and printed for M. J. Godwin at the Juvenile Library in Skinner Street, London, was published in July 1809. The attribution of authorship was both truthful and deliberately misleading, as this two-volume collection of poetry for young readers was written by Mary and Charles Lamb, who were not only the co-authors of
Mrs Leicester’s School(1808), but additionally of
Tales from Shakespear(1807). Both of these works had previously been published by the firm operated by their friends, William and Mary Jane Godwin. The decision not to name Mary Lamb as co-author of any of these children’s books made commercial sense, as potential buyers might well have known and…
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Citation: Markey, Anne. "Poetry for Children: Entirely Original". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 December 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35699, accessed 25 November 2024.]
