TEWKESBURY Book Fair on Saturday, July 27, will host the launch of a new book The Collected Poems of John Moore, the Kemerton author now acknowledged to be one of the finest writers on the English countryside of the 20th century.

Publication coincides exactly with the 35th anniversary of his untimely death in 1967 at the age of 59.

Born in Tewkesbury and educated at Malvern, Mr Moore, pictured at his desk, started work in the family business of Moore and Sons, auctioneers, in Tewkesbury High Street, near the house where he was brought up, now a hotel.

Following his wartime service as a Fleet Air Arm pilot and with 21 books already published, Mr Moore wrote Portrait of Elmbury, swiftly followed by Brensham Village, and The Blue Field, all set in and around Tewkesbury and Bredon Hill and known collectively as The Brensham Trilogy.

They were instant best-sellers and remain in print more than 50 years after first publication.

Two other books were also best sellers, September Moon, published in 1957 and his last great novel Waters Under the Earth, published in 1965 and which has become a tribute to his fine writing skills.

"Mr Moore loved poetry and during his lifetime he wrote around 80 poems, 50 of them in the new book written over a period of 45 years. The collection includes Forts Going Out: 1943, describing war-time American bombers taking off from English bases.

"The poem was widely published in the United States as a morale booster for recruits, following that country's entry into the war," said John Shakles, chairman of the John Moore Society.

Mr Moore's widow, Lucile Bell, and the Warwickshire illustrator Graham Downie, will be in Tewkesbury Abbey Refectory between 10am and 12noon at the launch to sign copies of the book published by the John Moore Society priced at £12.95.