Will Harvey was passionate about beauty, walking and nature. His enthusiasm for nature and conservation of wild places was increasingly reflected in his work. He used his BBC broadcasting platform to support the inclusion of the Forest of Dean in the National Park and Countryside Act of 1949, a visionary piece of legislation that created a network for protected landscapes for the nation to enjoy. His attempts to include the Forest were unsuccessful because few saw the potential beyond the ravages of industrialisation. The debate about how to protect the now recovered landscape continues today.
Our event celebrates Harvey’s nature writing which had a major impact on Leonard Clark (whom he mentored), and the teaching of poetry in schools in the twentieth century. The event features the Forest of Dean’s Stewart Carswell, reading his poems and talking about the landscape and nature influences on his poetry, a critical examination of Will Harvey’s nature poetry and ‘Working with Art’, describing recent work using Will Harvey’s ‘Friendly Furniture’ in a school.
Newnham on Severn has several connections to Will Harvey. A regular visitor, after the First World War he worked in the Newnham Office of John Haines and lived in a pair of railway carriages converted to a home in nearby Broadoak. Newnham was also the home of Irene Woodward, his secretary, who joined him when he set up his new legal practice in Lydney. The day will begin with a walk around the places familiar to Will Harvey.
When: Saturday 10th October
What: FW Harvey and the Legacy of Nature Writing
Morning guided walk around Newnham – details to follow
Afternoon 2pm – 4 pm: Talks, discussion, with guest speaker, poet Stewart Carswell
Where: (afternoon event) The George, Newnham-on-Severn GL14 1BS
About Stewart Carswell
Stewart lives in the Forest of Dean. His poems have recently been published in Under the Radar, Finished Creatures, Atrium, Ink Sweat & Tears, and The Fig Tree; and he has performed at the Cheltenham Poetry Festival and Poetry in Aldeburgh Festival. He is the author of the pamphlets Sleeping Through the Stars (Yew Tree Press, 2026), Knots and Branches (Eyewear Publishing, 2016), and the full-length collection Earthworks (Indigo Dreams Publishing, 2021). Find out more at https://stewartcarswell.co.uk
