A day-long symposium dedicated to the life and work of renowned Cumbrian poet Norman Nicholson will be held at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus on September 28. The event, organized by the Norman Nicholson Society in collaboration with the university, will bring together scholars and enthusiasts to explore Nicholson’s contributions to literature.
Associate Professor Penny Bradshaw, the program leader for the university’s MA in Literature, Romanticism, and the English Lake District, will host the event. The symposium will delve into Nicholson’s focus on ‘speakable’ words, examining his work across poetry, drama, prose, as well as his contributions to radio and television.
Norman Nicholson (1914-1987) was a celebrated poet, dramatist, and prose writer, recognized for his deep environmental and ecological concerns, his connection to locality, and his vivid topographical writings. His first collection, Five Rivers, earned him the inaugural Heinemann Award in 1944. Over his career, Nicholson received numerous accolades, including the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, an OBE in 1981, and a fellowship at the Royal Society of Literature at just 31 years old.
This year’s symposium, themed The Speaking Voice; the Written Word: Norman Nicholson and Performance, will highlight Nicholson’s emphasis on the spoken word. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to a recorded performance of Nicholson’s work, including the 1977 BBC Radio award-winning program A Wall Walks Slowly: The Sound of Cumbria, which pairs his poetry with the sounds of the Cumbrian landscape.
Notable speakers at the symposium include Professor Jonathan Pitches of the University of Leeds, Dr. Christopher Donaldson of the University of Lancaster, Dr. Martyn Halsall, former poet-in-residence at Carlisle Cathedral, and Andrew F. Wilson, who has authored an unpublished bibliographical study of Nicholson’s work.
The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is free of charge. Attendees will also be provided with a complimentary lunch, made possible by a donation from an anonymous supporter.