Shelley Memorial Project

03/06/2026

Thanks to everyone who has entered this year's poetry competition so far. The poems keep dropping into our inbox.
Let's hope it's a record breaking year! We've already received lots of brilliant poems - thank you.

Thanks also to West Sussex County Times for publishing this great article in last week's paper and to our brilliant competition sponsors The Radical Tea Towel Company and Courtney Green Estate Agents
For full details of this year's competition follow this link. Competition 2026 — Shelley Memorial Project https://share.google/ZfHcevODxnNnfK10w

01/06/2026

Catch up with our latest Blog and learn what Shelley means to our social media lead Sara Loewenthal as she dissects one of Shelley's most important radical poems, Song to the Men of England.
Keats-Shelley Association of America Keats-Shelley Memorial House The Shelley Trust

SMP’s social media lead, Sara Loewenthal, shares her story about what first drew her to Percy Bysshe Shelley

31/05/2026

Read our latest Blog piece about our night out in California!
If you would like to book a talk in person or via Zoom email [email protected] and we will reply by return.

SMP chair David Hide reports on our connection with a Shelley Society in the USA.

29/05/2026

SMP treasurer Carol Hayton takes the Shelley Cycle Trail
Starting at Poets Corner in Horsham Park, the route takes in many locations that would have been known to both Shelley and his family and includes: the Causeway, St Mary's Church Horsham , Arun House, as well as Warnham Local Nature Reserve and the St Margaret's Church in Warnham Parish where Shelley was baptised.

Horsham Museum & Art Gallery has produced a handy guide which contains the route and explains, ' How a wealthy boy from Sussex wanted to change the world ...., and did!'

An annual ride was held a few years ago; maybe it’s worth reviving.

https://horshammuseum.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/118025/Shelley-self-guided-cycling-trail-.pdf
Carol on the Shelley Cycle Trail with St Margaret's Church Warnham behind
Horsham District Council West Sussex County Times

29/05/2026

OMG look at what the postie delivered to one of our members this morning.
It's the 1905 edition of the Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. It includes notes and commentary by Mary Shelley. It's an absolute woza! Keats-Shelley Association of America Keats-Shelley Memorial House Horsham Museum & Art Gallery The Shelley Trust

28/05/2026

It was an absolute joy to take part in the Steyning Festival poetry evening last night and even more exciting to be asked to open the event with a presentation and poetry readings all about, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the most eminent person to whom Horsham District Council can lay claim.

Members of the team read extracts from, To a Skylark, Oyzmandias, Ode to the West Wind and the Mask of Anarchy, as well as performing in full, Song to the Men of England and the Flower that Smiles Today.

Other highlights included brilliant poems performed by students from Steyning Grammar School Day and Boarding and a stunning open mic.

The evening concluded with a star turn from John McCullagh the stellar poet from Hove. His set literally pushed all the buttons and included a Sugababes inspired poem from his new Collection Crowd Voltage.

Thanks to Shelley Memorial Project member Si Zec who was such a fantastic compere.

West Sussex County Times Sounding Out Horsham The Shelley Trust Keats-Shelley Association of America Keats-Shelley Memorial House

24/05/2026

Just three days until Shelley: A Celebration of Sussex's Most Famous Poet at the Steyning Festival, on Wednesday the 27th.

Award-winning Sussex poet John McCullough will host the event, reading from his own acclaimed work and introducing the winning poets from Steyning Grammar School.

Members of the SMP will talk about our vision for a memorial to Percy Bysshe Shelley in Horsham as well as discussing some of our favourite Shelley poems.

The evening concludes with an open mic session celebrating local voices and creativity.

Join us for what promises to be a great night. All information and tickets are available in the link below and tickets can also be bought on the night. Horsham District Council West Sussex County Times Sounding Out Horsham The Shelley Trust

https://www.steyningfestival.co.uk/events/categories/poetry/

23/05/2026

What a 'night out' for the Shelley Memorial Project who returned to Oak Park High School (California) Shelley Society and their teacher Kathleen Schultheis, to talk about what makes Percy Bysshe Shelley such an extraordinary poet. It was great to be back for a second year running.

From the students:
"Thank you Shelley Memorial Project for honoring us with a marvelous presentation about Percy Bysshe Shelley! This is the second year we have done our international exchanges via Zoom, and it is truly amazing to communicate across oceans and continents to exchange knowledge about this great Romantic poet. David, thank you for taking the time to prepare such an intricate presentation for us here in Oak Park! Carol, we appreciate your dedication to the Memorial Project and providing us knowledge about British history! We are beyond grateful of you two taking your Friday nights to relay upon our society your vast knowledge of Shelley and answer our questions.
From the bottom of our hearts,
Thank You
The Oak Park Shelley Society"

Allow us to thank YOU for giving us the opportunity to discuss our favourite subject. We are already planning for next year.

If you are interested in learning more about Shelley and the SMP please get in touch. Email us @ [email protected]

Horsham District Council Keats-Shelley Memorial House Keats-Shelley Association of America The Radical Tea Towel Company Horsham Museum & Art Gallery West Sussex County Times Sounding Out Horsham The Shelley Trust

22/05/2026

We are very much looking forward to the imminent decision on the memorial planning application which should enable us to swiftly move to the next stage of the project.
In anticipation of this our team was today with Horsham District Council for a quarterly partnership meeting reviewing the next steps.
Thank you to Nick Jenkins lead officer involved in the partnership and to Cllr Tony Frankland, cabinet member for Wellbeing, Culture and Green Spaces.
It was a very productive meeting.