Keep stolen computer . . I just want works back

A computer belonging to the late Stanley Eveling was stolen during an "opportunistic" break-in, leaving his family distraught.

His widow Kate Eveling, who is "kicking herself" for not backing up the files, said her home in Comely Bank was robbed while she was dropping her grandson off at Telford College.

As well as an iPod and digital camera, thieves made off with Mr Stanley's old laptop - a PowerBook G4 - which stored hundreds of poems and around six plays.

Among the works on the computer was Mr Eveling's last ever play, Ways to Remember, which the Traverse was considering staging in future.

Mrs Eveling, 74, said: "I was out for about 20-25 minutes max and when I got back, I noticed that the computer had gone. I was absolutely devastated. The window was wide open and the lamp had been knocked over.

"It is not the value of the computer that disturbs us at all. The family are anxious to have the archive back - we just want Stanley's works."

She added: "His last play, Ways to Remember, which he finished in about 2005, is on it. I have hard copies but there will be stuff that he did between 2006 and 2008 that we don't have downloaded.

"In particular I'm anxious about his poetry; he wrote a lot in his last couple of years. This archive is supposed to be going over to the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University, and the National Library in Edinburgh was willing to take the literary archive."

The retired French and Spanish teacher is urging the person or people who stole the computer to download the work and return it to her. "The computer isn't important - it's what's on it," she said.

"I hadn't downloaded what was on his computer to a memory stick. I'm not all that computer literate and I was terrified to lose everything. I was waiting for my sons to help.

"I have been kicking myself that I didn't do it sooner."

Mr Eveling, who was the first playwright ever to have new work premiered at the Traverse, died from prostate cancer on Christmas Eve 2008, at the age of 83.

He was well known in Edinburgh, having lectured in moral philosophy at Edinburgh University for 30 years. He was also "the Clive James of Scotland" with a TV Critic column in The Scotsman in the 1980s.

A police spokeswoman said: "An investigation is under way following a break-in in Comely Bank sometime between 11.30am and midday last Thursday."

Mrs Eveling added: "It would be wonderful if the material was to appear. It's very valuable to me and I would be very appreciative."