''Tarka the Otter: His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers'' is a novel by English writer

Henry Williamson Henry William Williamson (1 December 1895 – 13 August 1977) was an English writer who wrote novels concerned with wildlife, English social history and ruralism. He was awarded the Hawthornden Prize for literature in 1928 for his book ''Tarka ...

, first published in 1927 by

G.P. Putnam's Sons G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 partnership between George Palmer Putnam and ...

with an introduction by the Hon. Sir John Fortescue. It won the

Hawthornden Prize The Hawthornden Prize is a British literary award that was established in 1919 by Alice Warrender, who was born at Hawthornden Castle. Authors under the age of 41 are awarded on the quality of their "imaginative literature", which can be written ...

in 1928,Stade and Karbiener (eds). ''Encyclopedia of British Writers, 1800 to the Present, Volume 2'', 2009, p.522 and has never been out of print since its first publication.Gavron, J. "Introduction" to ''Tarka the Otter'', Penguin, 2009, v (all subsequent page references refer to this edition) The novel describes the life of an

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

, along with a detailed observation of its habitat in the country of the

River Taw The River Taw () rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor, crosses North Devon and at the town of Barnstaple, formerly a significant port, empties into Bideford Bay in the Bristol Channel, having formed a large ...

and

River Torridge The River Torridge is a river in Devon in England; it rises near Meddon. The river describes a long loop through Devon farming country where its tributaries the Lew and Okement join before meeting the Taw at Appledore and flowing into the Bristo ...

in North

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

(the "Two Rivers"); the name "Tarka" is said by Williamson to mean "Wandering as Water" (p. 10). Although not written for children, the book soon became popular with young readers, and also has influenced literary figures as diverse as

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

and

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental m ...

Plot summary, style

The book is separated into two main parts, "The First Year" and "The Last Year". It begins shortly before the birth of Tarka in an otter holt on the River Torridge, near the

Rolle Canal The Rolle Canal (or Torrington Canal) in north Devon, England, extends from its mouth into the River Torridge at Landcross 6 miles southwards to the industrial mills and corn-mills at Town Mills, Rosemoor, Great TorringtonLost can ...

aqueduct on the Beam estate. After a period learning to swim and hunt, and losing a sibling in a trap, he is separated from his mother and wanders around North Devon alone. His first mate is an elderly otter called Greymuzzle, who is killed during Tarka's first winter, which is unusually harsh. In his second year, he fathers a litter of cubs with his second mate, White-tip. Throughout the book Williamson juxtaposes Tarka with his main enemy, the local otter hunt, and particularly the pied hound Deadlock, "the truest marking-hound in the country of the Two Rivers" (p. 23). The book ends with a climactic nine-hour hunt of Tarka by the pack, and a confrontation between Tarka and Deadlock. Williamson's attitude to the hunt is somewhat ambivalent: while admiring them for their own regard for and knowledge of the otter, and despite being personally friendly with his local hunt, the violence and cruelty of some of his descriptions of hunting is clear.Gavron, 2009, xi Locations featured in the book include

Braunton Burrows Braunton Burrows is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. It is privately owned and forms part of the Christie Devon Estates Trust (see Tapeley Park). Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system (psamm ...

, the clay pits at Marland,

Morte Point Morte Point is a peninsula on the north west coast of Devon, England, belonging to the National Trust. To the east is the village of Mortehoe and to the south is the seaside resort of Woolacombe. In the summer season, tractor and trailer rid ...

Hoar Oak Water Hoar Oak Water is a moorland tributary of the East Lyn River in Exmoor, Somerset, England. It rises at Hoaroak Hill in the Chains geological site and flows to Watersmeet in the East Lyn Valley in Devon Devon ( , historically known as ...

and the

Chains A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...

. The book begins and ends in the vicinity of Torrington. Williamson wrote with a descriptive style which some, such as

, have characterised as poetic: in his memorial address for Williamson, quoted by

Roger Deakin Roger Stuart Deakin (11 February 1943 – 19 August 2006) was an English writer, documentary-maker and environmentalist. He was a co-founder and trustee of Common Ground, the arts, culture and environment organisation. ''Waterlog'', the ...

in his book '' Waterlog'', Hughes described him as "one of the truest English poets of his generation".Quoted in Deakin, R. ''Waterlog'', Random House, 2009, p.84 His writing is also characterised by a lack of sentimentality about the animals it describes; Williamson is generally careful to avoid anthropomorphising them and rarely attempts to present any but their most basic or instinctual mental processes.Hogan, W. ''Animals in Young Adult Fiction'', 2009, p.7

History and reception

Williamson, who was born in London and had moved to

Georgeham Georgeham is a village and civil parish near Croyde, in North Devon. The appropriate electoral ward is termed Georgeham and Mortehoe with total population at the 2011 census of 3,748. Georgeham is an historic village lying close to some of t ...

, Devon, in 1921, began making notes for ''Tarka'' about two years later: although he was usually a rather rapid writer, the book took him around four years to write thanks to the large amount of detailed research needed.Gavron, 2009, vi–vii Williamson often claimed that he was inspired to write ''Tarka'' after rescuing and raising an otter cub, but the truth of this story is uncertain and it seems likely that the 1909 book ''The Life Story of an Otter'', by Cornish naturalist

John Coulson Tregarthen John Coulson Tregarthen (9 September 1854 – 17 February 1933) was a British field naturalist and author, described as "the best loved Cornishman of his time". Tregarthen was born in Penzance, Cornwall, the son of James Tregarthen of St Mary's ...

, was a more substantial influence.Gavron, 2009, vi Nevertheless, Williamson spent a great deal of time gathering information on otters' habits and behaviour. The original edition featured illustrations by

Charles Tunnicliffe Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, Order of the British Empire, OBE, Royal Academy of Arts, RA (1 December 1901 – 7 February 1979) was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his work ...

. The book was extremely well-received on publication, attracting praise from

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

and

T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

, amongst others. Although not written for children, the book soon became popular with young readers.Hunt, P. ''International Companion Encyclopedia of Children's Literature'', Routledge, p.286 At the time the book was published, otters were generally regarded as vermin, but ''Tarka'' (and more specifically its later film adaptation) is credited with inspiring a transformation in public attitudes to otters.Scheel, D. "Otters back on stream", ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organisation publishe ...

'', 28 January 1988 The book remains well-known, and is often used to promote the area of North Devon where it is set. The

Tarka Line The Tarka Line, also known as the North Devon Line, is a local railway line in Devon, England, linking the city of Exeter with the town of Barnstaple via a number of local villages, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). The line opened in ...

railway line to

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town in North Devon, England, at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool and won great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, bu ...

, and

Tarka Trail The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths (rail trails) around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by the fictional Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It covers a total of in a figure-of-eight route, centred o ...

long distance footpath and cycle path, are named after the book.

Influence

Tarka the otter sculpture in Bideford, Devon

Although Williamson's reputation as a writer was affected in the wake of his support for

Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980) was a British politician during the 1920s and 1930s who rose to fame when, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, he turned to fascism. He was a member ...

and many of his works are now little read, ''Tarka'' has continued to be an influential work. American writer

once wrote that Williamson's work had "deeply influenced" her and said that ''Tarka the Otter'' and ''Salar the Salmon'' would be two of three books she might take to a desert island.Quaratiello, A. R. ''Rachel Carson: A Biography'', 2009, p.29

, who later became friends with an elderly Williamson, repeatedly cited reading the book as an important experience for him, while the author

wrote that he admired the "beauty and ice-clear accuracy" of Williamson's writing and described ''Tarka'' as a "great mythic poem".Deakin, 2009, p.185 Others to whom the book was significant included the nature writers

Kenneth Allsop Kenneth Allsop (29 January 1920 – 23 May 1973) was a British broadcaster, author and naturalist. Early life Allsop was born on 29 January 1920 in Holbeck, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was married in St Peter's Church, Ealing, i ...

Andresen, M. ''Field of Vision: The Broadcast Life Of Kenneth Allsop'', Trafford, 2005, p.11 and

Denys Watkins-Pitchford Denys James Watkins-Pitchford MBE (25 July 1905 – 8 September 1990) was a British naturalist, an illustrator, art teacher and a children's author under the pseudonym "BB". He won the 1942 Carnegie Medal for British children's books. Early ...

, who described it as "the greatest animal story ever written"."BB" (Watkins-Pitchford), ''The Pegasus Book of the Countryside'', 1964, p.143 The book has led to Britain's

and to the establishment of the Tarka Country Tourism Authority in North Devon.

Audiobook

In 1978 Sir

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...

narrated an audiobook version of the story, released as a double audio cassette.ASIN: B00130EJVC

Film adaptation

The novel has been adapted into a film: ''

Tarka the Otter ''Tarka the Otter: His Joyful Water-Life and Death in the Country of the Two Rivers'' is a novel by English writer Henry Williamson, first published in 1927 by G.P. Putnam's Sons with an introduction by the Hon. Sir John Fortescue. It won th ...

''. In 1974, Williamson began working on a script for a film treatment of the novel, but it was not regarded as suitable to film. Having previously rejected two separate offers from

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

, Williamson finally accepted an offer to make the film from English wildlife documentary film-maker

David Cobham Michael David Cobham (11 May 1930 – 25 March 2018) was a British film and TV producer and director, best known for the film ''Tarka the Otter''. He was also a first-class cricketer. Cricket career Cobham was educated at Stowe School, where h ...

, whom he trusted. The movie, narrated by

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

, was released in 1979, with a screenplay by

Gerald Durrell Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...

. One of Williamson's sons, Richard, and his daughter-in-law appear in the film. It was voted the 98th greatest family film in a

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

poll. The soundtrack for the film was composed by

David Fanshawe David Arthur Fanshawe (19 April 1942 – 5 July 2010) was an English composer and self-styled explorer with a fervent interest in world music.''The Times'' obituary 9 July 2010. His best-known composition is the 1972 choral work '' African Sanctu ...

and performed by Tommy Reilly.

Notable editions

*1927, UK, G. P. Putnams Sons, 1927, Hardback *1937, UK, Penguin Books, Paperback *1962, UK, Revised edition, Puffin Books, Paperback *1965, UK, Bodley Head, 1965, Hardback *1971, UK, Puffin Books , January 1971, Paperback (C.F. Tunnicliffe, Illustrator) *1981, USA, Nelson Thornes , March 1981, Hardcover (C.F. Tunnicliffe, Illustrator) *1982, USA, Salem House Publishers , 1982, Paperback *1990, USA, Beacon Press , 1990, Paperback (Concord Library Series) *1995, UK, Puffin Books , June 1995, Paperback (Annabel Large, Illustrator) *2009, UK, Penguin Modern Classics , Paperback (Jeremy Gavron, Introduction)

References

External links

Tarka the Otter manuscript in the Henry Williamson archive
at University of Exeter Special Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarka The Otter 1927 British novels British novels adapted into films Novels about animals Novels set in Devon Male characters in literature Literary characters introduced in 1927 Fictional otters Hawthornden Prize-winning works