Elma Mary Williams

Elma Mary Williams was an author from the United Kingdom.

She was born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1913 and educated at St John's Convent School.[1]

Having previously written several thrillers and romances, she became nationally well-known during the 1960s and early 70s for her books describing the animal sanctuary she had established on a farm at Tre'r Ddol near Machynlleth in Wales. Valley of Animals (1963) was a best-seller and was followed by several others, such as Animals under my Feet (1965, illustrated by Barry Driscoll), leading to a number of radio and television appearances.[2] Williams, a Roman Catholic who said she had drawn inspiration from St Francis of Assisi, later planned to develop a community where pensioners could retire along with domestic pets who they would otherwise not be allowed to keep. After initial planning setbacks she gained permission to proceed,[3] but died in 1971 before the plans were fully realised. The trust she set up initially planned to open a therapeutic facility on the site, but it was later sold and the last tenant, Winifred Berry, was asked to leave in 1975.[4]

In 1967 the composer Ian Parrott wrote a piece called Pant Glas Idyll inspired by Williams' farm.[5]

References

  1. ↑ The author's & writer's who's who, 1971, p.856
  2. ↑ The Bookseller, 3341-3353 (1970), 328
  3. ↑ "Refuge for pet lovers is given go ahead", Western Mail, 18 August 1970
  4. ↑ "Grand old lady of animal valley is told to quit", Western Mail, 19 February 1975
  5. ↑ Musical Opinion, v.106, 222


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