A week of events, trips and talks will be taking place this summer to celebrate the life of one of Dorset's most prolific writers.
The Thomas Hardy Society will be hosting its annual summer conference week inviting the public to visit the beloved author’s home town and celebrate his work through guided trips, lectures and entertainment.
It will run from July 27 to August 3 and is staged in partnership with Dorchester Town Council.
A spokesperson for the society said: "The Thomas Hardy Society once again invites you to visit the home town of our beloved author to celebrate his life and work through lectures, walks, entertainment and spending time with your fellow Hardyans.
"We are looking forward to welcoming our international friends who have been unable to travel to England during the years of the pandemic."
Most of the activities will be held in the United Church in South Street as well as guided walks and talks at key locations such as Hardy’s Cottage and Thorncombe Wood.
There will also be guided trips out to Wareham, Weymouth and Fordington hosted by Lucy Boyle-Brown, Byron Silver and Mark Damon Chutter respectively.
Other guest speakers for the week-long conference include Pamela Dalziel, Phillip Mallett, Isabelle Gadoin, Rachel Worth, Oindrilla Ghosh, Anna Burton, and Jeremy Newton.
Some of this year’s highlights include an open-air performance of a play concerning the life and death of Mary Channing at Maumbury Rings performed by the Wey Valley Academy.
The nineteen-year-old was convicted of poisoning her husband and became the last woman to be burned at the stake in Dorset. Her death became a source of inspiration for Hardy when writing the poems The Mock Wife and The Bridge-Night Fire.
Other highlights include a barn dance with the Wessex Ceilidh Band with caller Angela Laycock and a piano recital by Phillip Lange at St. Mary’s Church on Edward Road.
A full dates and times list of the summer conference events can be found on the Thomas Hardy Society website: https://tinyurl.com/2vmtdzsx
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