Celebrating the great Romantic poets in Chichester

In the spotlight will be John Keats, whose statue resides in East Street, Percy Shelley, who was born in Sussex and Lord Byron whose bicentenary is in 2024. Taking place on the Eve of St Agnes on Saturday, January 20 at 6pm, St John’s Chapel will host a talk by Fiona Price from Chichester University about the short, tragic but productive lives of Keats, Shelley and Byron. There will also be readings by actors and South Downs poets from the great poetry of these illustrious writers, along with music from the period. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome to come along and share the celebrations.

South Downs Poetry Festival (www.sdpf.org.uk) organiser Barry Smith explains: “We are in the middle of celebrating the bicentenaries of the great Romantic poets who all had a connection with Sussex. 2022 was the bicentenary of Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was born at Field Place near Horsham. He tragically drowned in Italy at the age of 29. 2021 was the bicentenary of the death in Rome at the age of 25 of John Keats, one of the country’s best-loved poets. After visiting Chichester Cathedral and the Vicars Hall as well as Stansted Chapel, Keats was inspired by the medieval architecture and atmosphere to begin writing one of his most famous poems, The Eve of St Agnes. Lord Byron is not a Sussex poet but in a dramatic escapade at Littlehampton, he narrowly escaped death to live on a little longer to be able to fulfil his destiny, dying at 36 at Missolonghi leading a campaign in the wars of Greek independence.”

Barry added: “Our Keats-themed events have always been very popular, often filling the church. We began performing to support the campaign to have a life-size statue of John Keats erected in Chichester. As readers will know, Vincent Gray’s wonderful bronze of the poet now proudly rests in Eastgate Square, where passers-by can sit next to the great poet.

“The highlight of the day will be a dramatic reading from the romantic poem by Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, which presents the image of the Romantic hero and became an overnight sensation on publication. There will also be readings of poems by Keats and Shelley by actors and poets.”

Taking part will be South Downs poets Stephanie Norgate, James Simpson, Naomi Foyle, Chris Hardy, Richard Hawtree and from SDPF itself, Joan Secombe and Barry Smith. The music from the Romantic period will be played by Chichester classical guitarist Linda Kelsall-Barnett. The event is being jointly organised by the University of Chichester and the South Downs Poetry Festival. The University is contributing a talk by Professor Fiona Price to place Lord Byron and the Romantic poets in their historical context.

Barry explained: “The idea is to breathe life into the wonderful poetry Keats, Shelley and Byron bequeathed to us. They are all the absolute image of the romantic poet – dying so young but writing words that still mean so much to people today.”

Bright Stars – Celebrating the Anniversaries of the Romantics in Sussex, Sat, January 20, 6pm, St John’s Chapel, St John’s Street, Chichester, PO19 1UR. Admission free.