Picture of author.

William Plomer (1903–1973)

Author of The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast

40+ Works 498 Members 5 Reviews

About the Author

Disambiguation Notice:

"William D'Arfey" was a pseudonym used by William Plomer and Anthony Butts only for Curious Relations.

Image credit: Wikipedia

Works by William Plomer

Turbott Wolfe (1926) 46 copies, 2 reviews
At Home (1977) 26 copies
Museum Pieces (1952) 25 copies
Cecil Rhodes (1984) 17 copies
Curious Relations (1945) — Editor — 17 copies
The Case is Altered (1970) 17 copies
Collected Poems (1960) 16 copies
Electric Delights (1978) 11 copies
Celebrations (1972) 10 copies
Paper houses (1929) 10 copies
Sado (1960) 10 copies

Associated Works

Billy Budd (1924) — Introduction, some editions — 3,015 copies, 60 reviews
The Dark Child (1954) — Introduction, some editions — 796 copies, 23 reviews
Kilverts Diary, 1870-1879 (1964) — Editor — 399 copies, 4 reviews
The Penguin Book of Contemporary Verse (1950) — Contributor, some editions — 295 copies, 3 reviews
The Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse (1983) — Contributor — 256 copies, 3 reviews
Great English Short Stories (1957) — Contributor — 124 copies, 1 review
The Oxford Book of Travel Stories (1996) — Contributor — 79 copies, 1 review
The Everyman Anthology of Poetry for Children (1994) — Contributor — 79 copies
Modern English Short Stories, Second Series (1911) — Contributor — 69 copies, 1 review
The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories (1985) — Contributor — 52 copies, 2 reviews

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Legal name
Plomer, William Charles Franklyn
Other names
Pagan, Robert (pseudonym)
D'Arfey, William (shared pseudonym)
Birthdate
1903-12-10
Date of death
1973-09-21
Gender
male
Education
Rugby School
Occupations
writer
librettist
literary editor
Awards and honors
Order of the British Empire (Commander)
Relationships
Campbell, Roy (friend)
Bowes-Lyon, Lilian Helen (friend)
Short biography
He pronounced Plomer as 'ploomer'.
Nationality
UK
Birthplace
Pietersburg, Transvaal
Places of residence
Pietersberg, Transvaal
Lewes, East Sussex, England
Place of death
Lewes, East Sussex, England, UK
Disambiguation notice
"William D'Arfey" was a pseudonym used by William Plomer and Anthony Butts only for Curious Relations.

Members

Discussions

Older Children's Book in Name that Book (January 2017)

Reviews

6 reviews
An absolutely stunning book. Had literally never heard of it until I saw it on Cyril Connolly’s list of 100 Key Books of the Modern Movement from England, France, and America 1880-1950 a few weeks ago [this review originally posted 2022-03-05]. https://www.themodernnovel.org/their-lists/other/connolly/
Had to track down a copy via inter-library loan. Cannot believe such a powerful, complex work is so little known. Set in South Africa before Apartheid was codified, a story of race relations show more explores bigger themes of identity and selfhood. show less
A wonderful retelling of a classic story. Though the artwork was a bit hard to see on my Kindle, it was still a very pleasurable read. To be able to view nature in its complete beauty is something that tends to elude us in our current society, and this story was a good escape away from our complex lives.
This book has been in my collection since I was about 7. It is a wonderfully illustrated collection of verses about the night of the Butterfly Ball and all those who are attending. the characters are beautifully drawn and the rhymes are lovely.
Highly recommended for everyone.
This is a beautiful book of verse, accompanied by full and lustrous illustrations of the Butterfly Ball. I remember this one from when I was a child - there was even a song and film clip released I believe. Great memories and a beautiful book that can be enjoyed by the whole family. A lovely addition to any collection.

Awards

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Associated Authors

Statistics

Works
40
Also by
24
Members
498
Popularity
#49,659
Rating
½ 3.5
Reviews
5
ISBNs
55
Languages
4

Charts & Graphs