Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Walter de la Mare's death, this is the first of a three-volume collection bringing together his short stories. It includes The Riddle and Other Stories (1923) containing 15 stories, Ding, Dong Bell (1924) containing four stories, and The Connoisseur and Other Stories (1926) containing nine stories. Also included are 14 uncollected stories published between 1895 and 1920. De la Mare's earliet published works were stories, the first of them appaering in 1895. There was always a creative counterpoint between the themes and imagery of his prose and poetry, and a full understanding of either is unattainable without knowledge of both. The publication of this volume coincides with the 40th anniversary of Walter de la Mare's death. Kings College London will be holding a one-day conference featuring the stories of Walter de la Mare to coincide with the publication of volume one on November 7, 1996, including speakers such as Professor John Bayley, Julia Briggs, and Russell Hoban.