Between the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century, Lady Augusta Gregory welcomed numerous distinguished literary and artistic friends to her home in Coole Park. Many of these visitors were invited to carve their initials onto a wonderful 160-year-old copper beech tree in her walled garden, which became known as ‘the Autograph Tree’. This book contains profiles of the signatories. The book is also a history of the Irish Literary Revival told through the biographical accounts of these people, as many of them played significant roles in this very important event.
'The Autograph Tree by William Henry was published just before the pandemic and because of lockdowns and the resulting chaos, it didn’t get the sort of media attention that such a work deserves. It is essentially a history of the Irish Literary Revival. The story is told through the biographical accounts of those who signed Lady Gregory's copper beech at Coole Park. Many of those signatories of the famous tree played major roles in the literary life of our country.
It was only when I saw the wonderful TV show, Lady Gregory: Ireland’s First Social Influencer, with that talented pair Miriam Margolyes and Lynn Ruane that I decided that The Autograph Tree was a must-read for me. And I wasn’t disappointed. This book is a treasure and is not to be missed.' - Mattie Lennon. Pencil Stubs
