WW1: Hardy at Athelhampton

Thomas Hardy and his second wife Florence were dining with Alfred Cart de Lafontaine at Athelhampton on the day that the First World War was declared.

To set the scene for the War Poetry Conference, local actors will re-create that fateful dinner in the very room it took place, with the audience moving to other historic rooms to watch events unfold.

The evening will be hosted by Giles Keating, custodian of Athelhampton who has recently published a book on Hardy's poetry, and will include a showing in the Tudor Great Hall of dramatised video readings, now being released on the Internet, of key poems that Hardy wrote about both Emma and Florence in the years leading up to the War.

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Giles Keating's new book "Thomas Hardy: 10 Lovers 50 Poems" not only re-tells the story of his wives and lovers by using 50 of his love poems, but also…