Last year I covered ‘Literary Pets’ and hope you enjoyed hearing throughout the year of the various animals that have provided companionship to authors. This year my focus will be trees around the world that are connected in some way with literature, some in real life and some in fiction.
Let’s begin with the ‘Autograph Tree’, which is a magnificent copper beech in Coole Park in County Galway, Ireland. This was the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, patron of W.B. Yeats and other writers. In the early 1900s, when she was involved in establishing the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, she invited different writers to her grand home (which no longer stands), and invited them to carve their initials into the tree. Yeats had already done so in 1898. Others who added their initials include George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge, Douglas Hyde and Sean O’Casey. Artist Augustus John also added his initials, as did English writer John Masefield.
Today the tree, which stands in a park open to the general public, is a memorial to the Gaelic Literary Revival, to a time when art and politics intertwined in fascinating ways, and to the works inspired by the house and grounds (Yeats wrote several poems about Coole Park, including The Wild Swans at Coole). The tree has outlived its carvers, but their works continue to impact Irish culture.
Are you aware of any trees with a literary connection? Have you seen The Autograph Tree? Tell me your thoughts in a comment.
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Mary Nelson
Hi Susannah, In Shepparton, Victoria a statue and plaque of Australian author Joseph Furphy in Shepparton besides a Wilga tree that he brought back from the Riverina area in the late 1890s prior to publishing his classic book Such Is Life. I believe the Wilga tree has since died however the plaque and statue tell the story and are still in place. They are located in Welsford Street, Shepparton.
There is also a tree planted in October 1943 in memory of Joseph Furphy in Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens. Originally an Australian Currajong tree was planted. This however died in the 1960s and has since been replaced by a Queensland Bottle Tree which still stands today and is in good health.
Not quite the same as the autograph tree ..however longstanding and commemorative in nature to Australia’s literary past.
Susannah Fullerton
I didn’t know about either of those trees, so many thanks for telling me. I guess you could also include the Fairy Tree in the Melbourne Gardens. All an important part of Australia’s heritage.
Marjorie
Thank you Susannah for a wonderful newsletter to start the New Year. It makes my reading life richer.
Susannah Fullerton
Thank you so much, Marjorie. I really appreciate hearing comments like this. Happy New Year.
Lynn Sitsky
I love Elif Shafak’s novel The Island of Missing Trees. Another older novel springs to mind, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Susannah Fullerton
I have been meaning to read the Elif Shafak book as so many people have told me how good it is, so it is firmly on my list for this year.
I hope you have a wonderful year of reading.
Melody
I’ve always loved EM Forster’s story in Howard’s End about the six forest trees growing out of the atheist’s grave to prove that God exists. I believe it is loosely based on a true story and would love to know more.
Susannah Fullerton
That’s an interesting moment in Howard’s End about the atheist woman who declared that six forest trees would grow from her grave if God existed. In the novel, this is presented as fact.
It appears that Forster drew on a real local grave at St Peter’s Church, Tewin. A massive single tree with four trunks grows over the grave of Lady Anne Grimston, who was buried more than 200 years ago in the ancient parish churchyard. You might find this site interesting: https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/h010rp.LadyGrimston_Galitzin.html
Thanks for your comment, Melody.
Melody
Thank you for that info. I have to say I think Forster’s embellishment of making it six different trees makes it a little more miraculous than the reality of just one with four trunks. That’s what they call poetic licence …