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Charity Registration
1140053
Arnold Bennett
Voted greatest West
Midland writer in 2005 and will appear on the Regional Wall of Fame in
Birmingham's City Plaza.
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Citizen of the Century
Stoke on Trent has a proud and illustrious history, with world
famous sons such as Arnold Bennett, Reginald Mitchell and Sir Stanley
Matthews, as well as current global stars such as Robbie Williams.
As they celebrate 100 years of the federation of the six towns, the
city council teamed up with Staffordshire University, the Sentinel
newspaper and BBC Radio Stoke to create a short-list of some of the
city's most famous people and Arnold Bennett was one of the nominees.
On 31st March the Chairman of the society, Morag Jones, along with the
Secretary, Carol Gorton, attended a special Lord Mayor's centenary
dinner at the Kings Hall, Stoke. Among the nominations were Sir
Stanley Matthews, Lord Jack Ashley and Millicent Duchess of
Sutherland. Morag and Carol were honoured to share the evening
with Lord and Lady Strathnaver, the son and daughter in law of the
current Duchess of Sutherland, who I believe has just celebrated her
89th birthday. Morag accepted a china vase and framed
certificate on behalf of the society as one of the nominees for
Citizen of the Century. The winner was Sir Stanley Matthews.
The society is currently fund raising to produce a bronze statue
of Arnold Bennett, and a photograph of the work in progress was taken
at the
Burslem School of Art during the modelling, just click on the link
above.
We also have a photograph with our President Denis Eldin.
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 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 Wain, Michael Foot, Margaret Drabble, John
Suchet, Priscilla Masters, A N Wilson, Professor Nick Foskett and Deborah Moggach. Ms Gaye Blake-Roberts, Curator of the new Wedgwood
Museum in Barlaston. Our speaker for 2012, to be held on 31st March at The
George Hotel, Burslem, will be the writer Dame Margaret Drabble. The
dinner is open to non members, subject to availability of tickets.
We also have other events, including
a Christmas event at The Leopard Hotel in Burslem and talk in
February, click on
Diary Dates link for further details.
Our next conference (our ninth) will be held on 9th June 2012 at
The North Staffs
Conference Centre, Hartshill. We also have a study day in October.
Some members of the committee recently gave a talk to the U3A in Stafford
to an audience of 200.
The Society is promoting the
republication of a series of Bennett's novels, just click on the Books
link.
The Past Events button will give you a
report on the visit to Fontainebleau where
we unveiled a plaque on 11th October 2008 at Arnold Bennett's former home
and more recently A Return to Riceyman Steps. 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
"The B.B.C. claim to have
discovered a new type, the
middlebrow It consists of people who are hoping that some day they
will get used to the stuff they ought to like."
Punch, 23 December 1925.
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