Edward James began n his journey as a poet in childhood, considering poetry the cornerstone of his creative life. In 1926, his first collection, titled Poems, was published by the Shakespeare Head Press. By 1930 he established his own publishing imprint, The James Press.
During the 1930s, The James Press issued a steady stream of James's own books of poetry. Inspired by publishers such as the Kelmscott Press and the Nonesuch Press, James spared no expense on producing elaborately decorated books which were often illustrated by leading artists such as Rex Whistler, Pavel Tchelitchew and Oliver Messel. In 1931, the press notably published John Betjeman's first collection, Mount Zion. Volumes published by the James Press were released in limited quantities and typically featured its emblem of a fist.
Edward James was inspired by his reading of Milton, Keats, and particularly Shelley. He gathered his material from a deep well of emotions, often those associated with longing and loss, but he also wrote poems about anything that he found beautiful, exotic or unusual. He could write evocatively of the many different landscapes he knew and, at other times, compose intimate verses about people, birds and animals.
James’s literary circle included notable figures such as John Betjeman, Edith Sitwell, and Aldous Huxley, further cementing his influence in the literary world.
West Dean College holds copies of almost all James's published works, including a large quantity of unbound versions, and his literary manuscripts. The Edward James Archive is currently being catalogued by the College’s Archivist, offering deeper insights into his creative process. To expand accessibility, the Collections Team has undertaken a digitisation project to preserve all published works by Edward James. These two projects will create online resources that will enable his work to be more widely known and better understood. The College's Library holds nearly a complete set of James's published books which are available to students.
James was a restless writer and editor, often issuing new editions of his books, re-writing poems, or leaving works unfinished due to dissatisfaction or the pressure of other commitments. In an "Apologia" printed at the end of the 1934 edition of his Reading into the Picture, he explains how he viewed some of his earlier poetry books:
"I have tried to produce books which in their illustration and general production may achieve a degree of merit which the text itself may not yet have attained. Of such books I have had only a very limited number of copies printed, and instead of issuing them all, at once, for sale, I have thought more fit (after giving one or two copies to my intimate friends) to lay them by in my cellars as one lays up a stock of wine, to wait for it to arrive at such period when it can at last be reviewed in retrospect and drunk in that state of mature fermentation which only the patient years give."
This 40th anniversary exhibition is a fitting tribute to Edward James’s impact as a poet and writer. Through initiatives like conservation and digitisation, West Dean College ensures that his legacy continues to inspire future generations.
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