Publications and Press Coverage
PRESS RELEASE: Winning Shelley Memorial sculpture announced!
Friday 24th May 2024
Sculptor Vincent Gray has been selected for the Shelly Memorial commission, the public artwork that will celebrate the Romantic and radical poet in Horsham, the town most associated with his birth place and early years.
The Shelley Memorial Project and Horsham District Council are pleased to announce that the winning sculptor for the proposed commission of a lasting memorial to Horsham’s iconic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley is Chichester based, Vincent Gray. Vincent’s concept design features an iconic, intellectually engaging monument which celebrates the philosophies, beliefs and vision of Shelley. The bronze quill pen sits on a pillar inscribed with quotes from the internationally renowned poet’s work.
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 which are to establish a lasting public memorial to Shelley for public enjoyment, inspiration and education, and to commemorate Horsham’s most famous citizen.
Horsham District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Green Spaces Cllr David Skipp said:
“Our congratulations go out to Vincent Gray for this elegant and thought-provoking design.
“I am sure that once set in the beautiful surroundings of Horsham Park, the sculpture will provide a focal point which is not only striking to look at but will also really connect with residents and visitors and will enhance the natural environment, whilst commemorating such a significant figure for our town.”
David Hide, Chair of the Shelley Memorial Project, added:
“We are delighted that we have now reached this major milestone in the project to deliver a permanent memorial to Shelley. The next stage of the process is to work with Vincent to develop the concept, in line with feedback from the public consultation and other stakeholders, to progress from the concept to the final design.‘
“I think the chosen design will produce a lasting source of pride and inspiration to our local community and further afield. The Memorial will also celebrate Horsham's place in our national cultural heritage.
“Our thanks go out to all members of the public who took the time to share their views and give feedback on the shortlisted designs, their comments helped greatly with our decision making. We would also like to thank, David Annand, Broadbent Studio, Vincent Gray and Robert Ward for presenting us with an excellent set of designs from which to choose. ‘
Winning sculptor Vincent Gray commented:
“I am profoundly honoured to learn my design concept through public consultation and the Shelley Memorial Project has been selected as a lasting memorial to Percy Bysshe Shelley. I look forward to working with the Shelley memorial team and engaging with the Horsham community.”
The Shelley Memorial Project have set a fundraising target for the completion and installation of the winning memorial. They are keen to hear from those interested in supporting their campaign to raise funds. To contact them about supporting the project please email: shelleymemorialproject@btinternet.com
The Shelley Memorial Project has secured the support of Horsham District Council which has agreed to the installation of the selected memorial at the centre of Horsham Park near the pond.
For media queries please contact shelleymemorialproject@btinternet.com
Horsham: Public consulted on Shelley memorial statue
By Bob Dale
The public are being asked to help choose a statue to commemorate the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.
A shortlist of four designs has been put forward for Horsham Park in West Sussex.
Shelley was born in Field Place in the nearby village of Warnham in 1792, while his father Sir Timothy Shelley was MP for the town.
The Shelley Memorial Project is still fundraising to pay for the memorial's installation.
In 1996, a globe-shaped water feature to commemorate the poet was installed in the centre of town, but this was removed in 2016 as it cost more than £200,000 to maintain.
The four designs are available to view and vote on online, and can also be seen at the Horsham Museum.
David A. Annand depicts the poet reclining on a chaise-longue, while Vincent Gray's offering is a hand holding a quill pen. Robert Ward has proposed three separate sculptors in front of mirrored surfaces. The Broadbent Studio's design is based on Shelley's 1819 poem Ode to the West Wind.
David Hide, chair of the Shelley Memorial Project, said: "We are delighted we can now open the public vote for our permanent memorial to Shelley and engage more broadly with the general public to select a great public artwork, as a lasting source of pride and inspiration to our local community and beyond.
"The memorial will also celebrate Horsham's place in our national cultural heritage."
University College, Oxford, where Shelley studied from 1810 until his expulsion the following year, is also home to a memorial statue of the poet.
The County Times
Front page Thursday February 2024: Voting opens for Shelley memorial
The County Times
Thursday October 26th 2023: Celebrating poetry event wtih Chris Aldridge and Roger McGough
The County Times
Thursday August 23rd 2023: Walking in the footsteps of the poet
On Saturday, 12 August the Shelley Memorial Project fundraising team took part in a sponsored walk to raise funds for the project. They were joined by members of St Margaret's Church, Warnham who are fundraising for the restoration of the church's Shelley family plaque.
The nine mile circular walk will started and ended at St Mary's Church, Horsham, where Shelley's family are commemorated. The route took walkers through areas of beautiful Sussex countryside which Shelley would have known well and will pass key Shelley sites including; St Margaret's Church Warnham, where Shelley was baptised, Warnham Nature Reserve, where he fished and sailed boats with friends, and Horsham Park, the proposed site for the Memorial. There were pauses along the way for restorative readings of Shelley's poems.
The County Times
Thursday December 29th 2022: FRONT PAGE: Memorial for poet Shelley
The County Times
Thursday September 29th 2022: Tea raises money for memorial project
The County Times
Thursday July 14, 2022: Shout Out for Shelley
The County Times
Thursday 7 July, 2022: Jeremy Quin support
The County Times
February 2022 article by Oliver Farley
Project Endorsement
December 2021 Press Release:
Julian Sands, Shelley Memorial Project supporter
In March this year, the poet and former Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, endorsed the Shelley Memorial Project’s plan to commission a public artwork to commemorate the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in Horsham. This month the project group is delighted to have received two further endorsements from major figures from the art world.
The stage and screen actor Julian Sands, best known for roles in ‘ A Room with a View’ and ‘ Warlock’. is a great Shelley enthusiast. He has worked closely with the Keats and Shelley Memorial Association on Keats-Shelley200, a programme of events marking the 200th anniversary of the death of the poets. Julian has also accepted the invitation to become a patron of the Shelley Memorial project. He said when agreeing to take on the role;
"It is a privilege to be involved with the pursuit of a public memorial to Percy Bysshe Shelley in his birthplace of Horsham .. His vigour ..his intellectual fire-power ..his political commitment ..his understanding of the importance of nature ..his belief in civil rights and above all his brilliance as a poet all recommend him to be publicly celebrated as a brilliant comet-like life force . an inspiration to those who knew him two hundred years ago ..even more of an inspiration to those who know him.. read him ..believe in him today."
The second endorsement is from writer, playwright and Sussex resident Julia Donaldson CBE, who is also a former Children’s Laureate. She commented when she heard of the plan for a public memorial:
"As a writer and resident of Sussex, I am very happy to support the proposal to commemorate the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley with a permanent, public artwork in Horsham. It is right that we should recognise such a great poet, particularly in the place associated with his family and early life, where the beauty of our county was to inspire his work. I fully support the project and wish the project group the best of luck with the fund-raising campaign that will deliver a fantastic memorial to Shelley."
Julia Donaldson, Shelley Memorial Project supporter
David Hide, Chair of the Shelley Memorial Project, said of these endorsements , ‘ We are really pleased to have such great support for our project from Julie, Julian and all those who have joined our supporters list. Next year we are looking forward to presenting a programme of events in Horsham to mark a really important Shelley anniversary. We are delighted that Julian has agreed to present his performance of readings from the romantic poets as part of that programme, and we look forward to announcing more details of that and our other events in the new year. We are always looking for more people to help us with our project; we, of course, welcome contributions from individuals and businesses to our fund-raising campaign. Anyone interested in helping or making a donation to the project can contact us via:
Our Website: WWW.shelleymemorialproject.co.uk
Fundraising site: www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/the-shelley-memorial-projectil
Or email address: shelleymemorialproject@btinternet.com ‘
The Horsham Society
January 2021 Newsletter:
If Horsham were to create a tribute to Shelley for its residents and visitors to enjoy should it be serene, subdued and sober?
