“One of Dorset’s brightest stars”: Sylvia Townsend Warner immortalised in Dorchester statue
New Dorchester statue marks a major step in recognising Dorset’s overlooked women
A permanent statue of Sylvia Townsend Warner, one of Dorset’s most original and groundbreaking literary figures, is to be unveiled in Dorchester, marking a landmark moment in the campaign to recognise women in the county’s public spaces.
A Dorset resident for much of her life, Sylvia Townsend Warner was an acclaimed novelist, poet, musicologist and political activist in the 20th century.
Best known for works such as Lolly Willowes, The Corner That Held Them, and her celebrated short stories, of which over 150 were published by The New Yorker, an extraordinary achievement for any British writer, male or female.
For decades, Dorset’s literary heritage has been dominated by the voices and statues of men.
The Sylvia Townsend Warner looks to champion overlooked women, support inclusive heritage and reshape who is visible in our civic landscape.
This new statue is part of Visible Women UKs wider goal to “transform the representation of women in public art” and redress the imbalance in towns and cities.
The organisation says Sylvia Townsend Warner is exactly where she belongs, “at the heart of the county’s cultural story”.
Anya Pearson, Chair of Visible Women UK, said: “For too long, Sylvia Townsend Warner has been treated as a footnote in Dorset’s literary history, when in truth she was one of its brightest stars.
“By placing her statue in the heart of Dorchester, we are saying very clearly that women’s stories and queer women’s stories belong in our public spaces.”
Warner was one of the earliest English writers to openly portray queer women’s lives with honesty, tenderness and wit.
Anya Pearson added: “Sylvia pushed boundaries, wrote without fear and lived authentically. This statue finally allows us to celebrate her as her authentic self, proudly and openly, in the town she called home.”