Molly Dunne unveiled as new bard for Dorchester in Dorset

Crowds gathered in Poundbury to witness a competition of words as people battled it out to become the town bard.

Around 40 people attended the event in Pummery Square to watch six aspiring hopefuls compete for the title.

Molly Dunne, 22, from Upwey, was selected by the five judges as overall winner, and was awarded the title of The Bard of Caer Dur (Dorchester), which she will hold for one year and one day and set the theme for next year’s competition.

The aim of the Bardic Chair of Caer Dur is to encourage the arts of poetry, storytelling and music in the town of Dorchester and the surrounding area of West Dorset.

Molly Dunne at the competition (Image: Bard of Dorchester) Judges were wowed by Miss Dunne’s reinterpretation of the Thomas Hardy poem ‘The Shadow on The Stone’ from the point of view of Emma Gifford, an English writer and suffragist who was also the first wife of Hardy.

Her other piece was a celebratory monologue on the charms of Dorset. Molly will hold the title of The Bard of Caer Dur for a year and a day and will set the theme for next year's competition and compere the event in 2025.

Singer-songwriter Aidan Simpson, 30, from Bridport was awarded the Hardy Prize by the chair of The Thomas Hardy Society for the best Hardy piece with his interpretation of the Thomas Hardy poem ‘The Late Autumn’ as a song with acoustic guitar.

Jerry Bird, who founded the Bardic Seat in 2010 and Simon Emmerson from Imagined Village and Afro-Celt Sound System both passed away in 2023 and were awarded the status of Honorary Bards of Caer Dur for their contributions to music and poetry.

Peter Roe the former Bard of Caer Dur was honoured with the title of Grand Bard and he will continue to work with the successive Bards of Dorchester to administer the competition for Dorchester and West Dorset for the next five years.

Grand Bard, Mr Roe said: “We were absolutely delighted with the quality of all the contestants who made it to the final.

“Each of them brought their own interpretation of the theme ‘Celebrating Dorchester or West Dorset’, an interpretation of a Thomas Hardy poem as poem, song or story and their bardic manifesto and what they would bring to the role.

“Molly has big ideas for her year in the role, she is a worthy winner and you can follow her Bardic year on The Bard of Dorchester Substack.”

The first competition for The Bard of Caer Dur was held at the Corn Exchange in March 2009.