Treece

HENRY TREECE (1911 - 1966)

Treece was part of the brief 1940s poetic movement known as the New Apocalypse, opposed to the rationality of such as Auden (q.v.). With James Findlay Hendry, he co-edited the second and third of the movement's anthologies in 1941 and 1945. They described themselves as 'anti-cerebral' and having a 'large, accepting view of life'. They invoked the name of D.H. Lawrence and approved of Dylan Thomas, on whom Treece wrote the first book.

Treece spent the years 1935-38 teaching at Tynemouth School for Boys. He certainly wrote one story set locally, 'The Black Longship' in his collection The Invaders, and much of his work deals with the Roman and Viking periods. Besides historical accuracy, the books are marked by a real feeling for the past. Treece also wrote a series of thrillers for children. His best book is probably The Children's Crusade (1958) which has been widely translated. 'The Black Longship' opens as follows:

'It was in the bad time of the year. The sea howled like a hungry wolf and bit at the tarred sides of the staggering ship. Sleet struck slanting against the fourteen men who tried to set the dragon prow towards the grey land. Their faces and arms and hands were red raw like new-killed meat. Hardly one of them could have handled axe or sword with such frozen fingers, even if the hoard of Miklagard lay before them as battle-fee. The black ship wallowed like a harpooned walrus now, flinging the Danes against gunwale or sea-chest, knocking the heart out of them.'

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
HENRY TREECE (1911 - 1966) Treece was part of the brief 1940s poetic movement known as the New Apocalypse, opposed to the rationality of such as Auden (q.v.). With James Findlay Hendry, he co-edited the second and third of the movement's anthologies in 1941 and 1945. They described themselves as 'anti-cerebral' and having a 'large, accepting view of life'. They invoked the name of D.H. Lawrence and approved of Dylan Thomas, on whom Treece wrote the first book. Treece spent the years 1935-38 teaching at Tynemouth School for Boys. He certainly wrote one story set locally, 'The Black Longship' in his collection The Invaders, and much of his work deals with the Roman and Viking periods. Besides historical accuracy, the books are marked by a real feeling for the past. Treece also wrote a series of thrillers for children. His best book is probably The Children's Crusade (1958) which has been widely translated. 'The Black Longship' opens as follows: 'It was in the bad time of the year. The sea howled like a hungry wolf and bit at the tarred sides of the staggering ship. Sleet struck slanting against the fourteen men who tried to set the dragon prow towards the grey land. Their faces and arms and hands were red raw like new-killed meat. Hardly one of them could have handled axe or sword with such frozen fingers, even if the hoard of Miklagard lay before them as battle-fee. The black ship wallowed like a harpooned walrus now, flinging the Danes against gunwale or sea-chest, knocking the heart out of them.'
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