The Great War And The Modern Imagination

Next month, as one of a series of events commemorating the First World War, Beverley Town Council is organising a study day at Beverley Memorial Hall.

“The Great War and the Modern Imagination” will centre on the literature of the post-war period and trace the effects combat experiences had on writers like Ford Madox Ford, JRR Tolkien, Ivor Gurney and David Jones. Parallel developments in music and the visual arts will also be discussed.

“A century after WW1 began, we have been remembering those millions who died in this conflict, many from the East Riding,” said Councillor David Sweet, who has helped organise the event.

“Quite rightly, we associate the Great War with loss, waste and tragedy. However, it also was a catalyst for social and artistic change. After it, things were never the same.”

The day will examine the way writers who survived the trenches made sense of what they went through, and how this altered the content, attitude and style of their poetry and fiction.

It will embrace the wider themes of modernism, disenchantment and the end of romanticism and ask to what extent we still may be influenced by the cultural legacy of the “war to end all wars.”

There is plenty of evidence for the contemporary relevance of these authors. Ford’s tetralogy

“Parade’s End” was made into a highly acclaimed BBC series in 2012, adapted by Tom Stoppard and starring Benedict Cumberbatch. Peter Jackson’ third film based on Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” is due out in December.

“It’s quite an ambitious programme,” said Councillor Sweet. “The speakers include leading academics, specialists in the literature and social conditions of the period. But they will put forward different ideas and interpretations, which will make for an interesting, informative and enlightening day.”

“The Great War and the Modern Imagination” will take place on Wednesday November 26th at the Memorial Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, from 9:30am to 5:00pm.

Tickets for the day cost £15, which includes lunch, and can be obtained from the Tourist Information Office, 34, Butcher Row, Beverley, or from Beverley Town Council Offices, in person or by post, 12, Well Lane, Beverley, HU17 9BL.