Horsham MP unveils Shelley sculpture at local college

Guests and members of the Collyer’s community past and present attended the event in which Horsham MP Jeremy Quin unveiled the memorial.

Commissioned and donated by David Arnold, Collyer’s principal from 1983 to 1999, the work will eventually be set in the new Shelley Building, scheduled to open in spring 2023.

David quoted Shelley’s sonnet Ozymandias and explained its relevance to the day’s event. It was while reading the poem that he had had the idea of a Shelley Memorial illustrating the sonnet and, with that in mind, had contacted the distinguished sculptor, and former Collyer’s student, Hannah Stewart.

David said: “Hannah is a former Collyer’s student, one of whose early works is the bronze statue of a dragon in the middle of the maze in Horsham Park. I put the idea to her, and she came up with the idea of a bronze relief which would illustrate Ozymandias.”

Hannah said: ''It has been a real privilege to create this bronze relief celebrating Shelley's poem Ozymandias. I am thrilled to have had this opportunity to commemorate such a fabulous poet in his hometown, at my former college, and I hope that it will inspire many students to explore and discover more of Shelley's writing. I remember David Arnold reciting this poem when I was a student here, so it feels especially fitting that there is now a sculpture based on the poem at the college.''

Principal Dan Lodge said: “It was wonderful to welcome back our previous principal David Arnold and commemorate Shelley’s bicentenary with David’s gracious gift of a sculpture by Hannah Stewart, renowned artist and Old Collyerian.”

Jeremy Quin said: “I was delighted to unveil the plaque at Collyer’s marking the bicentenary of the death of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley is one of England’s finest poets and perhaps Horsham’s most famous son. I am so pleased that Collyer’s have recognised Shelley in this way and even more pleased that an Old Collyerian, Hannah Stewart, created the plaque. My thanks to former Collyer’s Principal David Arnold for supporting such a wonderful piece of commemorative art.”