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THE SHERBORNE LITERARY SOCIETY
O
John Gaye
ver the years I have frequently received missives from people writing to the Sherborne Literacy (sic) Society. I can reassure them that our members are not only very capable of reading but actually enjoy it enough to attend literary events in order to hear about new books from the authors. Indeed, during the last months of semi-isolation, for many of us reading has never been so important. That love of books seems to have survived despite dire predictions that ‘moving pictures’, then TV and then computer games would supersede the appeal of reading. In addition, although many bookshops have gone to the wall, Sherborne is blessed with its very own independent bookshop, Winstone’s, which has been so successful it has since opened up branches in both Frome and Sidmouth. Its owner, Wayne Winstone, has been a huge supporter of the Society from the start, not least in helping to source some of the very best authors in Britain, and many of the most promising new ones, to speak at our events. Part of what makes Sherborne so very special for those who live in the town or surrounding villages are the many societies, covering a wide range of both the world of the arts and of science, that are run by volunteers for the benefit of all. They all contribute to making the town a unique place to live and often provide events worthy of London or other major cities. 18 | Sherborne Times | January 2022
Not least among them is the Literary Society with its events covering many different genres and subjects. The Society held its last formal 3-day festival in 2019. Since then it has switched to running major events on a regular basis throughout the year, thus ensuring that we are not limited to a specific time of year, usually aimed at the pre-Christmas publishing frenzy, which clashes with hundreds of other festivals which have since sprung up around the country in October or November. We aim for true diversity; not just in the choice of author but to be more relevant to our audience, in the variety of subjects covered and in the genre of the literature, which may range from Pam Ayres’ wonderful poetry to Adam Nicolson on the natural history of our coastline to Andrew Lownie’s very revealing biography of King Edward VIII. We also hope to identify those authors who can make for an entertaining evening and provide an amusing or revealing commentary on their book while avoiding those who cannot, however well they may write. In addition, we provide a regular forum whereby local authors can promote their books and at which members of the Society can enjoy a more informal evening over a glass of wine and some canapés. For more details of membership (£10), its many advantages and for the full programme of events visit sherborneliterarysociety.com
