To mark the 50th anniversary of Housman Society, local publishers, Merlin Unwin Books, have published a full, photographic edition of A Shropshire Lad.
The enduring appeal of this lyrical English poem, first published in 1896, lies in its exploration of the universal themes of loss, nostalgia and love. Certainly, its international popularity today is undiminished.
The rural landscape of the beautiful Shropshire countryside, from the bucolic Clun valley to the bleak hills of the Stiperstones, is sympathetically captured by one of Shropshire’s finest photographers, John Hayward.
This is the only photographic edition of A Shropshire Lad in which the county’s stunning landscapes, which have scarcely altered since Housman’s day, have been matched with the stanzas on each page.
A Shropshire Lad for our times
Photographer, John Hayward, has a huge following for his photographs via his agency Shropshire and Beyond. He lives near Shifnal and can often be spotted before first light carrying his heavy camera gear up Shropshire hills, towers and battlements in all the remote corners of the county to get the best images
A Shropshire Lad with photographs by John Hayward can be purchased locally from The Castle Bookshop on Castle St in Ludlow and from The Shop at Ludlow’s St Laurence’s Church.
