Plans for memorial move a step forward

SMP director David Hide presents the latest developments in the Shelley Memorial Project’s journey.

Report from the *West Sussex County Times*

As recently reported in the West Sussex County Times, our planning application for a permanent memorial to Percy Bysshe Shelley, 'the most eminent person to whom Horsham can lay claim' has been submitted to Horsham District Council. The proposed location for this public artwork will be within Horsham Park.

The application can be viewed via the following link - DC/26/0227 | Erection of a memorial statue. | Horsham Park Horsham West Sussex

We encourage all those in favour of establishing a memorial to one of the greatest Romantic poets to have written in the English language, to submit their comments via the on-line consultation.

The location for the memorial in Horsham Park

The application is the latest stage in the process towards the commissioning of the artwork. In 2024 selection process took place involving the Shelley Memorial Project and Horsham District Council to produce a shortlist of four superb concept designs. The shortlist was then subject to extensive public consultation in which more than 1600 votes were cast. The winning concept design, by Vincent Gray, the Chichester based sculpture was then taken forward for further consideration.

Since selecting this design, we have strengthened our partnership agreement with Horsham District Council. This has enabled us to fine tune the design and agree a perfect location within Horsham Park for the memorial.

The design combines both formal and romantic elements and places Shelley's poetry at its heart. Our key objective has always been to facilitate a fitting permanent public memorial to Shelley for public enjoyment, inspiration and education, in the Horsham district where he was born, and thereby to commemorate the enduring power of the work of one of the major English Romantic poets and Horsham’s most famous citizen.

We believe we have achieved this, and throughout this process we have welcomed the public's comments and feedback, this continues to inform improvements to the design prior to commissioning.

We welcome your ongoing feedback and public expressions of support.

We continue to fund-raise for this important memorial and if you can help us make this happen by making a donations, please follow this link (add link to our donate button here)

Here are a few messages from some of our high-profile supporters

"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 is one of our greatest writers and I support 100% the idea that he should have a memorial to him close to his place of birth.’ Michael Rosen

'I am absolutely delighted to be involved in the Horsham project to create a permanent public memorial to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Such a memorial makes a most fitting recognition of one of our greatest poets, in this year which is the bicentenary of his death. In addition to the pleasure and intellectual stimulus his poetry has brought to readers over two centuries, Shelley has come to stand as an inspiration to generations through his championing of democracy and equality, both in his own country, and through his powerful influence across the world, in such countries as India, South Africa, Italy, and Japan. Today his presence and influence is truly international, and a public memorial to his standing, in his home town of Horsham, is long overdue.' SMP patron Kelvin Everest Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Liverpool and the editor of The Poems of Shelley

‘I'm delighted to add my name to the list of supporters. Two centuries after his death Percy Bysshe Shelley's work is still read, loved, and studied all over the world. It's only right that Shelley's hometown of Horsham remembers and celebrates him, and reminds everyone where it all began.' Dr Giuseppe Albano MBE, Director of the Freud Museum London and former curator of the Keats and Shelley House Rome.

We would like to thank the support we have received from our partner Horsham Distrcit Council, the Friends of Horsham Park, Arts Society Horsham, Horsham Blueprint and Denne, Forest and Trafalgar Neighbourhood Councils, as well as the many individuals who have become registered supporters.

SMP at the Bodleian

Shelley Memorial Project