The Byron 200 celebrations

To mark the bicentenary of Lord Byron’s death, organisations in and around Nottingham are celebrating 200 years since the poet passed away in Greece.

Why is Nottingham celebrating? After his father’s death, Byron moved to his ancestral home Newstead Abbey, and subsequently spent many years living in Nottinghamshire and the surrounding countryside. This year, talks, workshops and events are scattered around the city and surrounding countryside on all things Byron, celebrating his life and legacy.

Newstead Abbey, once home to Lord Byron, are also hosting activities and exhibitions throughout the year. Funded by the Institute of Policy and Engagement, information panels have been installed in the garden, reflecting some of Byron’s poetry that was inspired by the grounds of Newstead Abbey.

Sam Hirst, a Post-Doctoral Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Nottingham, has been working closely with Newstead Abbey, reinterpreting Byron’s work and making it accessible for visitors. The images below, are apart of the exhibition on at Newstead Abbey to illustrate aspects of Byron’s life.

Full information on Newstead’s Byron 200 calendar, can be found on their website.

The Byron 200 Lecture

In collaboration with Newstead Abbey, Nottingham City Council, Lakeside Arts and Nottingham City of Literature, we are hosting the Byron 200 Lecture on Thursday 27^th June 2024 at Lakeside Arts.

Suitable for 14+ years old, the lecture will include six guest speakers sharing their views on the life and legacy of Lord Byron from different perspectives. Doors will open at 5.30pm with the lecture commencing at 6pm.

The event will open with a welcome from Greek-born Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, Nottingham City Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health. The lecture will be chaired by Associate Professor Richard Gaunt from University of Nottingham's Department of History and followed by a question-and-answer session at the end.

Our guest speakers and chair of the lecture are:

• Dr Sam Hirst, Post-Doctoral Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Nottingham
• Simon Brown, Curator at Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of Lord Byron
• Madeline Potter, Early Career Teaching and Research Fellow in the Long Nineteenth Century (Romanticism/Victorianism), The University of Edinburgh
• John Beckett, Emeritus Professor of English Regional History, The University of Nottingham
• Miranda Seymour, novelist, biographer, critic and visiting professor at Nottingham Trent University
• Geoffrey C Bond, OBE, author, broadcaster, producer, historian, and present owner of Burgage Manor, once occupied by Lord Byron 

For tickets and further information, visit our website.

What else to look out for

The Faculty of Arts at the University of Nottingham are also hosting workshops and talks during the summer including a creative writing workshop at the Central Library on Wednesday 19^th June, 2pm - 4.25pm. The workshop will explore Byron’s Bear and other animals with Angela Clerkin.

Sam Hirst is hosting a talk on Byron and Vampires, exploring how Byron developed the image of vampires and why we find these creatures so fascinating today. This talk will be hosted at Central library on Monday 17^th June, 2pm – 4pm.

For full details on the Faculties of Arts Byron 200 celebration plans, visit their website here.