Charity Registration 1140053

Arnold Bennett

Voted greatest West Midland writer in 2005 and appears on the Regional Wall of Fame in Birmingham's City Plaza.

The present Arnold Bennett Society was re-formed in 1954 and has members throughout the United Kingdom as well as abroad.  It is based in the City of Stoke on Trent, the "Five Towns" of Arnold Bennett's novels.

The Society's aim is to promote the study and appreciation of the life, works and times, not only of Arnold Bennett himself, but also of other provincial writers, with particular relationship to North Staffordshire. 

An annual dinner is held in Stoke on Trent with a guest speaker of distinction.  Past speakers have included John Suchet, Priscilla Masters, A N Wilson, Deborah Moggach. Our speaker for 2012, was Dame Margaret Drabble. The Guest Speaker for 2013 was local historian Mr Fred Hughes and the dinner was held at The George Hotel, Burslem, the mother town of the Potteries.

We also have other events, including a Christmas event and a talk in February.  This year's talk was given by Professor David Amigoni, Professor of Victorian Literature at Keele University on Saturday February 23rd at Friends' Meeting House, King Street, Newcastle Under Lyme.

The Society is promoting the republication of a series of Bennett's novels, just click on the Books link. You can also get back numbers of our newsletters if available from the editor.

The Past Events button will give you a report on a visit to Fontainebleau  on 11th October 2008 where we unveiled a plaque at Arnold Bennett's former home and more recently a visit to  A Return to Riceyman Steps.  More recently the musical "Darling of the Day" an adaptation of AB's novel "Buried Alive". Members also receive 3 newsletters each year which include original works, notices, articles and mentions of Bennett in other publications.  

We are members of Alliance of Literary Societies  and  Staffordshire Heritage Group and have links to other societies, such as Ford Madox Ford Society

HG Wells and  Staffordshire History

You can contact the Chairman of the Arnold Bennett Society,

Morag Jones at moragjjones@gmail.com

The Secretary Carol Gorton at arnoldbennettscty@btinternet.com

Editor of Churnet Valley Books, Bennett Editions

John Shapcott at john.shapcott@btinternet.com

President:  M Denis Eldin (Arnold Bennett's grandson)

Vice Presidents: Dame Margaret Drabble - Lord Hattersley - James Hepburn - - Professor Ray Johnson MBE - M Jacques Eldin.