On Friday 12th December, the English Division at the University of Northampton School of the Arts was very pleased to welcome Professor Nick Groom (University of Exeter) to give the Inaugural John Clare Memorial Lecture.   Accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies,  the event was a real opportunity for the School to celebrate the legacy of John Clare and open its doors to members of the John Clare Trust, the John Clare Society and Sue Shields and Kathryn Parsons, artists who have been involved in the exhibition, ‘UnEarthed: John Clare’.

John Clare Memorial Lecture (Reception, 12 Dec 2014).

Listen back to Professor Groom’s lecture on ‘John Clare at Christmas: The Seasons and the English Calendar’ below, or download the MP3.

The lecture was attended by forty people, including staff, students and twenty members of the public.  We look forward to making the John Clare Memorial Lecture an annual event, with a range of guest speakers addressing the themes of literature and the environment.

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to Professor Groom who has been nominated for BBC Countryfile Magazine’s ‘Book of the Year’ 2014/2015.  To vote, click here

Professor Richard Canning, Professor Nick Groom and Associate Professor Charles Bennett.