Émile Cammaerts
Émile Leon Cammaerts CBE was a Belgian playwright, poet and author who wrote primarily in English and French.
Cammaerts translated three books by art, history and landscape expert John Ruskin and selected G. K. Chesterton Father Brown detective stories in La clairvoyance du père Brown.
He became Professor of Belgian Studies at the University of London in 1933, most of his works and papers are held there in the Senate House Library.
Cammaerts is the author of a famous quotation in his study on Chesterton:
Personal life
Cammaerts was born in Saint-Gilles, a suburb of Brussels. He was educated at the Free University of Brussels and later at the experimental Université Nouvelle where he studied geography. He migrated to England in 1908 and was baptised as an Anglican at age 34 henceforth taking the middle name Pieter.He married the Shakespearian actress Helen Tita Braun, known as Tita Brand, with whom he had six children, including Pieter Cammaerts, who was killed while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II, prominent SOE operative Francis Cammaerts and Catherine Noel "Kippe" Cammaerts, an actress and mother of Michael Morpurgo. Jeanne Cammaerts collaborated with her father on Principalities and Powers and wrote his biography in 1962.
Works
Poems
Belgian Poems : Chants patriotique, et autres poèmes New Belgian Poems. Les trois rois et autres poèmes- ''Messines and other Poems''
Stage productions
- A Christmas virgil at The New Theatre, St Martins Lane Tita played the widowCarillon, stage recitation, music by Edward Elgar: Une voix dans le désert, stage recitation in English and French versions with music by Edward Elgar containing the poem for soprano aria below
- * Quand nos bourgeons se rouvriront and for the English version When the spring comes round from Une voix dans le désertLe drapeau belge, recitation, with music by Edward Elgar
Books
The Adoration of Soldiers with illustrated poems La Veillée de Noël. Les deux bossus Through the iron bars, two years of German occupation in Belgium A ma patrie enchainée A history of Belgium from the Roman invasion to the present day The legend of Ulenspiegel The Treasure of Belgium The Poetry of Nonsense Discoveries in England Albert of Belgium, defender of right, a biography of King Albert I of Belgium The Laughing Prophet: The Seven Virtues And G. K. Chesterton The Keystone of Europe The Prisoner at Laeken: King Leopold, Legend and Fact The Situation of Belgium: September 1939 to January 1941 Upon this rock The flower of grass The peace that is left Principalities and Powers with Jeanne Lindley The Devil takes the Chair The cloud and the silver lining book on the themes of art and religionOther
- Translation of Guido Gezelle from the West Flemish dialect with Charles Van der Borren, Poèmes choisis
- Preface to The glory of Belgium – An anthology collated and edited by Russell Markland and dedicated on the front opening to Cammaerts.Baron Edmond de Cartier de Marchienne booklet
- Article on William Dobson, painter An English successor to van Dyck: William Dobson Second series no III