About
The Shelley Memorial Project is a community interest company. *
The aim of company, based in Horsham, West Sussex, is to establish a lasting public memorial to the poet Shelley - for public enjoyment, inspiration and education, and to commemorate Horsham’s most famous citizen.
Shelley is one of the major English Romantic poets and is internationally known as one of the most influential poets in the English language. His fame and its enduring nature is particularly remarkable in view of his early death in 1822 at the age of 29. His writings are said to have influenced an impressive list of key figures in literature, philosophy and politics including Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw and WB Yeats. His work is studied, admired and referenced widely in modern times. Shelley is undoubtedly a towering cultural figure and yet, in Horsham District, where he was born, there are very few references to the most famous person to have been born here.
In 1996, shortly after the bicentenary of Shelley’s birth, and in response to a call for a permanent memorial to Shelley, a sculpture by Angela Conner, entitled ‘Rising Universe’ was installed in Horsham town centre. This artwork was a kinetic water sculpture which came to be known as the Shelley Fountain. It featured a large globe that filled with water as it rose and fell. Maintaining the artwork in working condition became expensive and, as a result, the sculpture, in more recent years, rarely operated as intended. This increased the controversy around the sculpture which met with a mixed reaction from local people following its installation. Some found it ugly in appearance and failed to see clearly the connection with the poet. Others were more appreciative of the artwork but were unhappy with frequency with which the mechanism seemed to require maintenance to keep it in working order. For some time before its eventual removal in 2016 it was not in a working state.
The Shelley Fountain was not loved by all and, for reasons not connected to Shelley’s literature, became a fairly controversial installation. Whilst it was in place, however, it did achieve some of the positive objectives that memorials represent. Since its removal many people have expressed a wish for a replacement that will reconnect the town, clearly and appropriately, with our poet and provide an appropriate memorial to the poet and his work.
In 2018, as a renewed focus on Horsham’s cultural heritage had developed with preparations for Horsham’s Year of Culture in 2019, the Shelley Memorial Project was formed.
The project raised enough funds in 2022, the 200 year anniversary of the poet’s death, to enable us to launch the commission for the artwork. In May 2024, following a public vote, sculptor Vincent Gray was selected for the Shelley Memorial commission. Over 1700 members of the public took part in the public consultation, which included a vote on the four shortlisted concept designs. In a close competition between the four designs, Vincent Gray obtained the highest vote from the public. Having reviewed the outcome of the public consultation and the views of key stakeholders, the selection panel agreed that the Gray concept design best reflected the overall aims and criteria of The Shelley Memorial Project.
Our fundraising continues and we hope to achieve a successful outcome that will enable us to complete the project in 2025.
*Our full name is The Shelley Memorial Project Community Interest Company. A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a limited company, created for the use of people who want to conduct a business or other activity for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage.
Potential site of the memorial in Horsham Park
Find out more about the artist’s brief.
Read about the shortlisted artists.
Join the list of project supporters.
Read our constitution.
See our list of elected officers.
Meet the team.
See our safeguarding policy.
The Shelley Memorial Project has been established by individuals and community groups from Horsham with an
interest in Percy Bysshe Shelly, a towering cultural figure and our local poet.
All individuals and representatives of the groups involved give up their time voluntarily to achieve the aim of delivering a permanent, public memorial to Shelley. We believe that this will be the only public memorial to Shelley in the country.
We would very much welcome support for our project from those who share our vision of establishing a permanent, public memorial to celebrate the work and life of Percy Bysshe Shelley. We believe that it is appropriate that the memorial should be in Horsham, the town closest to his birth place, family home and the area in which he grew up.
1. Add your name to the supporters list on our website.
We are building a list of names and expressions of support from those who appreciate the work of Percy Bysshe Shelley and support the aims of our project. We are very pleased to have received, as one of the very first contributions to that list, a message from the poet, Michael Rosen.
If you would like to add your name or your name and a message, please contact us and we will include this on our site. This list will help us to demonstrate the enduring appreciation of Shelley’s work and the importance of establishing a memorial.
2. Support our fund-raising campaign by making a donation to help us meet the cost of the memorial.
We have set ourselves a target of raising £85,000 from public donations, fund-raisingevents and grant applications.
This sum will enable us to commission a suitable artwork, to be installed on a public site, to commemorate Shelley. All funds raised will be allocated to the achievement of an appropriate memorial which will be gifted to the Horsham community.
Donations can be made via our website or by using the contact details below to enquire about other means of donation.
3.Join the project group and providing ideas and practical support to help us achieve our aims.
The Shelley Memorial Project is run entirely by a small group of enthusiastic volunteers. There is a lot to do to achieve our objective so we are always keen to hear for anyone who would like to contribute their skills and enthusiasm to help us.
We are very excited to announce that we have secured an 'in principal' agreement with Horsham District Council to locate a permanent and lasting memorial to Shelley, within the boundaries of Horsham Park at our preferred location of the central crossroads within the park in front of the pond.
Further discussions are now taking place with the council around the project brief, ahead of launching an open competition to attract some of the country's leading sculptors to interpret our brief.