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John Masefield’s fantasy novel The Box of Delights is an enduring Christmas classic. It has a unique place in children’s literature and continues to inspire and engage modern readers with its timeless adventure of ancient magic, good vanquishing evil, and Christmas miracles. For many, watching the 1984 BBC TV adaptation is a Christmas tradition and ‘The Box of Delights Appreciation Society’ has over 2,000 members on Facebook! This visual celebration of The Box of Delights is written by a world expert on the text and showcases fascinating illustrations, photographs, letters, manuscripts and designs from Masefield’s life and across all of the story’s many manifestations – through the different editions of the book (whose illustrators included Quentin Blake), and adaptations on television, radio and stage. With a foreword by award-winning children’s author Piers Torday.
Dr Philip W. Errington is widely acknowledged as the world expert on John Masefield. He has edited The Box of Delights for editions published by Egmont, New York Review of Books and the Folio Society. He is a research associate of the Department of English, University College London, a director and senior specialist within the department of printed books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, and archivist of The John Masefield Society.
