Books by David Perkins

Large Cast / Flexible Age Range / Unit Set A touching musical based on the well-loved story by Oscar Wilde... the golden statue of the Happy Prince stands high above the city looking down on the misery and poverty beneath him. Desperate to bring hope and happiness to the poor people, he asks a swallow to distribute his gold and jewels to them. The generosity of the Happy Prince and the courage of the swallow help to overcome the greed of the powerful mayor and we are shown that the most precious things in life are often the least obvious. THE HAPPY PRINCE has been specially written for a large cast with a mixed range of ages and abilities making it suitable for schools, youth theatres or amateur groups. The 16 principal roles are augmented by much chorus work which can be adapted according to the size of the company. Helpful and detailed Director's Notes are included to assist with every aspect of the production. The running time is approximately 80 minutes.

A giant builds a high wall around his beautiful garden to prevent the children from playing in it. However, a valuable lesson is taught when the wall keeps the spring from returning and the garden remains in winter all year round. This is an adaptation of Oscar Wildes's short story.

This text is a study of the thinking which underlies recent theory about literary history. Through analysis of particular literary histories - most of them contemporary works - Perkins elaborates on fundamental problems that arise in the writing of literary history.

Presents current thinking on some of the theoretical issues and dilemmas in the conception and writing of literary history, by scholars from Europe, Australia and North America. Topics covered include the role of literary history in "new" societies and the problem of literary classification.

Using the metaphor of King Arthur's roundtable, this book suggests that effective collaboration is the future of intelligent organizations and businesses. Covering topics such as types of feedback, quality of leadership, and the dangers of regressive language, it introduces a methodology for effective group communication.