Donald Woods Winnicott (1896-1971) was one of Britain’s leading psychoanalysts and paediatricians. The author of some of the most enduring theories of the child and of child analysis, he coined terms such as the
good enough mother and the transitional object (known to most as the security blanket). Winnicott’s work is still used today by child and family therapists, social workers, teachers, and psychologists, and his papers and clinical observations are routinely studied by trainees in psychoanalysis, psychiatry, and clinical psychology. Winnicott also wrote for parents, teachers, social workers, paediatricians, childcare specialists, psychologists, policy makers, art and play therapists, and many others in the field of child and adult development. Now, for the first time, virtually all of Winnicott’s writings are presented chronologically in a multi-volume set, edited and annotated by leading Winnicott scholars. The Collected Works of D. W. Winnicott brings together clinical case reports, child consultations, psychoanalytic articles, and public and private correspondence, as well as previously unpublished works on topics of continuing interest to contemporary readers (such as delinquency, antisocial behavior, corporal punishment, and child care). The Collected Works begins with an authoritative General Introduction by editors Lesley Caldwell and Helen Taylor Robinson, and volumes 1 - 11 each feature original introductory essays examining that volume’s major themes, written by international Winnicott scholars and psychoanalysts. Throughout the Collected Works, editorial annotations provide historical context and background information of scholarly and clinical value. The 12th and final volume, edited by Robert Ades, contains additional complementary material, including comprehensive bibliographies of Winnicott’s publications and letters, documentation of his lectures and broadcasts, and a selection of his drawings. This extraordinary publication will be an essential resource for readers of Winnicott the world over and also for those interested in the history and origins of the fields of child development and psychoanalysis.
