Ruth Dallas – 1968

During her tenure as a Burns Fellow, Ruth Dallas (1919-2008) spent some of her time writing books for children. Her Ragamuffin Scarecrow (1969), illustrated by Els Noordhof, was co-printed in The Bibliography Room, with Wickliffe Press involvement. Dallas's The Children in the Bush (1969) was the first of what was to be a series of seven children's novels. She was enthusiastic about the Fellowship, and reported to Professor Alan Horsman of the English Department: 'It is possible that, for me, the most valuable part of the Burns Fellowship has not been in what I have been able to write, but the hours I had in which to read and study. Works written may be seen as the lemons or apples put forth from a writer's life. But it is the root that needs the nourishment, and this I have had time to find. My coming into contact with the University library has been an enriching experience.'The photograph of Basil Dowling and Ruth Dallas was taken by Keith Maslen, 29 April 1979.

Ruth Dallas, 'Ragamuffin Scarecrow'. Typescript and proof page for pages 8-9. 1969; ___, Ragamuffin Scarecrow. Dunedin: The Bibliography Room, University of Otago, 1969; Basil Dowling and Ruth Dallas. Photograph, 1979. Bibliography Room/Otakou Press Archive; Ruth Dallas, The Children in the Bush. London: Methuen, 1969. Brasch PR 9641 D25 C45