Horsham joins poetry lovers around the world to celebrate Shelley bicentenary

People in Horsham joined poetry lovers around the world on Friday to commemorate the 200th annivery of the death of renowned romantic poet Percy Shelley.
By Sarah Page
Published 11th Jul 2022, 12:18 BST
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In Horsham – the town most associated with his birth place and early years – members of The Shelley Memorial Project presented ‘Shout Out For Shelley’, an evening of poetry and music performed by five Sussex performers and poets.

Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, Charlotte Glason, Janine Booth and Attila the Stockbroker performed works from their own collections alongside their favourite Shelley poems, to mark Shelley’s position as the greatest radical poet in the English language.

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BBC radio 4 presenter and news reader Chris Aldridge presided over the evening of social commentary through poetry which gave proof to Shelley’s assertion that ‘ poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.’

Gareth Williams, actor and former member of the pop group the Flying Pickets, performing the Masque of Anarchy at The Shout Out For Shelley in HorshamGareth Williams, actor and former member of the pop group the Flying Pickets, performing the Masque of Anarchy at The Shout Out For Shelley in Horsham
Gareth Williams, actor and former member of the pop group the Flying Pickets, performing the Masque of Anarchy at The Shout Out For Shelley in Horsham

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Shout Out for Shelley was the second event in the Shelley Memorial Project’s Shelley 200 Festival, following on from Julian Sands highly acclaimed performance of ‘Keats and Shelley, Ghosts and Lovers’ which took place in St Mary’s Church, Horsham, in June.

The next festival event is ‘Shelley and Co’ a poetry and cream tea event taking place at the Alexander Hotel in Turners Hill on the afternoon of July 24.

Performing at the Shout Out For Shelley in Horsham to mark the poet's bicentenaryPerforming at the Shout Out For Shelley in Horsham to mark the poet's bicentenary
Performing at the Shout Out For Shelley in Horsham to mark the poet's bicentenary

Alexander House was once the home of Shelley’s grandmother and the hotel has sponsored the event which will take place in the Shelley Suite and will feature two award winning poets, Barry Smith and Stephanie Norgate, reading from their collections with some Shelley too.

For more details visit the Shelley Memorial Project Website www.shelleymemorialproject.co.uk or the Eventbrite site and search Shelley and Co.

Related topics:SussexGareth Williams