WINNER OF THE WORDSWORTH PRIZE FOR LITERATURE AND POETRY 2026, AND RUNNER UP FOR THE LAKELAND BOOK OF THE YEAR 2026.
From Peter Rabbit to Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, The Tailor of Gloucester to The Fairy Caravan, the works and characters of Beatrix Potter have bewitched children the world over for more than a century – and have never been out of print. This lively and curious book explores Potter’s works via a series of short, interlinked essays that take their starting point from 26 key words and phrases from her children’s books, her letters, journals and other writings. For students and enthusiasts alike, this engaging collection of essays offers fresh angles on familiar Potter themes and topics (A is for Animal; C is for Clothes) whilst others cast light on uncharted corners of her imagination (D is for Dancing; U is for Uncanny; G is for Ginnett’s Circus). Entries like F is for Fairy, T is for Trees, S is for Seasons and R is for Rabbit Tobacco look at topics related to race, gender and the environment as other essays use key words to open up discussion of Potter’s legacies and impact (L is for Lake District; P is for Peter Rabbit; H is for The Horn Book), including global reception, TV and film adaptations, and the development of Potter's beloved Lake District as a thriving tourist destination.
Paying close attention to the texts while also considering the broader contexts at play, this book broaches questions that offer intriguing ways into the works readers feel they know so well: how does a youthful encounter with a circus come to shape Potter’s imagination? Why does eating and food feature so extensively in her writing and how does this relate to contemporary debates on diet and environmental crisis? Providing a close-up encounter with one of the most celebrated children’s authors, this book invites new recognition of the ways in which Beatrix Potter’s writing explores ideas which remain deeply relevant today, including the relationship between humans and the natural environments they inhabit.
