A Twickenham Summer – talk by author and historian Hester Grant
Tillemans, Peter
The Prospect of the River Thames at Twickenham
1724 – 1730 (circa)
Join us for a talk that celebrates the 300th anniversary of a summer of friendship and creative collaboration, and the launch of Hester Grant’s new book, A Twitnam Summer.
Exactly three hundred years ago, in May 1726, Jonathan Swift arrived in Twickenham with the manuscript of Gulliver’s Travels in his luggage. He had last been in England twelve years earlier, and had returned to publish the Travels and be reunited with his friends the poet Alexander Pope and the poet and playwright John Gay.
The three friends spent the summer together in Pope’s villa at Twickenham, just upriver from Orleans House Gallery. As well as reading, writing, and exchanging ideas, the writers also explored Pope’s beautiful garden and grotto and made boating trips to visit Henrietta Howard’s newly built villa at Marble Hill.
Today the summer is remembered as an example of the power of creative collaboration, while the friendship between the three writers is a moving story of love, inspiration and emotional support.
The talk will be given by the writer and historian Hester Grant to coincide with the exhibition she has curated for Orleans House, ‘A Twickenham Summer’. Drawing on the gallery’s unique collection of images of Pope’s villa and its neighbourhood, this small exhibition celebrates a remarkable episode in Twickenham’s history.
Key Information
Free activity
Learn about the history of creative collaboration along the river in Twickenham and enjoy a talk by Hester Grant. Explore her exhibition in the Study Gallery at Orleans House Gallery and there’s also an opportunity to buy a signed copy of her book, A Twitnam Summer.
Booking is advised to avoid disappointment.
