Record Number: 33571
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'An imaginative aunt who, for my ninth birthday, sent a copy of the "Arabian Nights", was, I suppose, the original cause of trouble. Unfostered and unnoticed, the little flame so kindled fed me secretly on dreams. Chance, such as the existence of a Syrian missionary near my home, nourished it; and Fate, with long months of illness and leisure, blew it to a blaze bright enough to light my way through labyrinths of Arabic, and eventually to land me on the coast of Syria at the end of 1927.'
Century:1900-1945
Date:Between 31 Jan 1901 and 31 Jan 1910
Country:Italy
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Child (0-17)
Gender:Female
Date of Birth:31 Jan 1893
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:Explorer and travel writer
Religion:Christian
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:Italy
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:The Arabian Nights' Entertainment
Genre:Fiction, Children's Lit
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceowned
Birthday gift
Source Information:
Record ID:33571
Source:Freya Stark
Editor:n/a
Title:The Valley of the Assassins and other Persian Tales
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:1934
Vol:n/a
Page:xxi
Additional Comments:
Pagination is from the 2001 Modern Library edition. The book was first published by John Murray in London in 1934.
Citation:
Freya Stark, The Valley of the Assassins and other Persian Tales, (London, 1934), p. xxi, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=33571, accessed: 08 February 2026
Additional Comments:
Dame Freya Madeline Stark, Mrs Perowne, (31 January 1893 � 9 May 1993) was a British explorer and travel writer. Much of her childhood was spent in Northern Italy (Piemonte, and later Veneto). I have not been able to identify whether the copy of the 'Arabian Nights' was in English (most likely) or French or Italian (Stark read all three languages from childhood).
