Internationally acclaimed poet, essayist and scholar, Fiona Sampson, will give a free public reading from her latest book, In Search of Mary Shelley, at The Hive on Thursday, March 14th.
The event, part of the Spring Readings series from the University of Worcester’s School of Humanities, will take place in the Glass Room at The Hive at 6pm.
The publication of In Search of Mary Shelley is part of the celebrations surrounding the 200th anniversary of the writer’s infamous work, Frankenstein. Mary Shelley lived an astonishing life, eloping with Percy Bysshe Shelley at the age of 16 and living life on the move across Europe, whilst coping with debt, infidelity, child-loss and early widowhood.
Fiona Sampson’s latest work delves below the surface of Shelley’s story to explore who this remarkable lady really was, and what drove her to pursue her passion for writing, at a time when to do so as a woman posed many challenges and difficulties.
Ruth Stacey, Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Worcester, said: “We are extremely lucky to have a speaker like Fiona Sampson, who can talk about so many different aspects of her experience. Fiona Sampson is a prizewinning poet, translator, academic, mentor, editor, and biographer. Our students, whatever their area of interest, can gain vital knowledge from this event. However, it was important to us when arranging the reading series that it was hosted in our fantastic shared Hive library, so that the event is open to the public as well. Creative Writing is a lens on human experience, with many different voices. Our reading series will continue to bring writers from all backgrounds and experience to speak in the Hive.”
Fiona Sampson has won several prestigious awards for her writing, which varies from poetry to academic work on the connection between writing and health. Her writing has been widely translated in to many different languages throughout the world, and in 2011 she was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
For more information or to book a place, please contact Ruth Stacey at the University of Worcester by email on r.stacey@worc.ac.uk