Denton Welch (1915-1948) was an English writer and painter I discovered recently. His books such as Maiden Voyage and In In Youth is Pleasure are beautifully written and create an engaging emotional and aesthetic environment, often against a rural wartime backdrop. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of the downland countryside in the south east of England during the war, and Denton evokes this atmosphere with delicate descriptions such as pieces of shrapnel darting into a quiet river like “sharp little daggers.” His intricate observations are consistently perceptive and exceptionally witty.