Blythe Spirit: The Remarkable Life of Ronald Blythe
Ronald Blythe, best known for his 1969 account of village life, Akenfield, wrote a weekly column for Church Times for 24 years, called ‘Word from Wormingford’. From finding Thomas Hardy in February rain and John Clare in country tracks, to talking to his white cat and reading through a dragonfly’s wings, the Blythe gift was to marvel in the everyday. His writing was intimate, meditative and often laced with a wry humour, inviting readers to share his enchanting perspective on the world. Yet few knew the real Ronald Blythe. Leaving school at 14, he educated himself in libraries, churches and walks in the East Anglian landscape. He never spoke about early poverty and his traumatic experience in the war, while his sexuality was kept private except from those closest to him. Drawing on unparalleled access to letters, notebooks, published works, drafts, and conversations from decades of friendship, Ian Collins tells the full story of Ronald Blythe for the first time. The result is a sensitive, revelatory portrait which celebrates a fascinating, complex man and casts new light on one of our greatest writers.
10:00 Saturday 1 March 2025