Centenary of Sir Stephen Spender OG

11 Mar 2009

28 February 2009 was the exact centenary of the birth of Sir Stephen Spender OG. To mark the day, Dr Jonathan Ward organised a special event in the Auden Theatre. First, John Smart (Staff 1985 - 2006) gave a wonderfully succinct and extremely illuminating lecture on Spender's life and work, especially his poetry, which was greatly appreciated by the audience.

We were treated to archive film of Spender being interviewed by Peter Porter, and then a recording of the poet himself talking about and reading some of his best work. After the interval, Dr Ward introduced 18 of the best poets presently at Gresham's, who read their work. Many of the poems were stunning in their sophistication and there is little doubt that some of these young people will be published in due course - even, perhaps, that their own centenaries will be marked at the end of the 21st century.