H.E. Bates Companion

London: Dennis Dobson, 1968. Don Mills, Ontario: General Publishing Co., 1968. Illustrated by Peggy Chapman. Dedication: "To Richard and Jonathan who got stung" (Bates's sons).

This first-person narrative by a very British female butterfly is replete with endearing names, a lengthy cast of characters, strategic meetings, valiant sacrifice, and a butterfly romance. In the end, the peaceful life of Flowerland is protected from threat by some twenty squadrons of assorted butterflies, assisted by hummingbirds, dragon-flies, moths, and spiders, and all celebrate their victory with speeches and drinks (nectar).

According to family members, the story was originally untitled but Bates's son Richard added a title page to the typescript with the title "The Wasps." Apparently Bates submitted it with that title to his agent under the pseudonym Laurence Lucas. Richard Bates remembers hearing the story read before bedtime as a boy and estimates that it was written in 1947 or 1948, although not published until two decades later.

Reviews:
Books and Bookmen (August 1968, p. 24, Marie Peel, attached)
New Statesman (November 1, 1968, p. 595, Margaret Drabble, attached).
Times Literary Supplement (October 3, 1968, p. 1113, attached)