Chichester celebration of John Keats, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron

In the spotlight will be John Keats, whose statue resides in East Street, Chichester; Percy Shelley, who was born in Sussex; and Lord Byron whose connection with the county involved a narrow escape from disaster.

Taking place on Sunday, March 2 at 6pm to mark the 204th anniversary of the death of John Keats, the event is being held in Cloisters at the University of Chichester’s Bishop Otter campus in College Lane. It will host a talk by Professor Fiona Price about the relevance in today’s world of the life and work of Keats and his companions. There will also be readings by actors and South Downs poets from their poetry. Heading the bill is actor and singer Gareth Williams together with Paula Tinker, who recently starred in the Festive Jazz Café at the Guildhall. Entrance is free and everyone is welcome to come along and share the celebrations.

South Downs Poetry Festival organiser Barry Smith said: “We are in the middle of celebrating the bicentenaries of the great Romantic poets who all had a connection with Sussex. 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. Shelley was born near Horsham while Lord Byron narrowly escaped death in a swimming accident at Littlehampton.”

Barry added: “We originally linked up with the University to support the campaign to have a life-size statue of John Keats erected in Chichester. 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 by Gareth Williams and Paula Tinker of the famous romantic poem by Keats, Isabella, or the Pot of Basil, which has inspired many famous pictures by the Pre-Raphaelite artists.”

There will also be readings of poems by Keats and Shelley by actors and poets. Taking part will be South Downs poets Stephanie Norgate, Naomi Foyle, Chris Hardy and from SDPF itself, Joan Secombe and Barry Smith. The music will be played by Little Machine’s guitarist, Chris Hardy. This year will also include new poems written by the university students and local writers on Romantic themes in an open mic session.

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. Everyone is welcome.to join us for this fantastic celebration.”

Celebrating Keats and the Romantics in Sussex, Sunday, March 2, 6pm, Cloisters, Bishop Otter Campus, University of Chichester, PO19 6PE. Admission free.