ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN, poet and pre-eminent classicist of his time, was born near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire
in 1859. The eldest of seven children he entered Bromsgrove School at the age of eleven and, with a strong academic
grounding there, won a scholarship to St John's College, Oxford in 1877.
After gaining First Class Honours in Classical
Moderations, he failed his 'Greats', the Final School, in 1881 and so left Oxford without a degree. After a brief time teaching
at his old school he returned to Oxford for a term to take a pass degree and the following year took up employment in the
Patent Office in London, where his great friend from Oxford days, Moses Jackson, was working.
In 1892, on the strength of scholarly articles published in classical journals, Housman was appointed Professor of Latin at
University College London. In 1896 his most famous book, A Shropshire Lad, was published and it has never been out of
print since. The 63 spare nostalgic verses, born out of the troubles Housman suffered during his life, are set in a half-imaginary Shropshire, a 'land of lost content', and the heart-penetrating simplicity of its verse has given it an enduring
popularity. Poem XL is typical of its mood:
Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills,
What spires, what farms are those?
That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.
In 1911 Housman secured the coveted post of Kennedy Professor of Latin at Cambridge University and he moved to Trinity
College, where he was to spend the rest of his life. In 1922 a long awaited second volume of verse, Last Poems, was
published and after his death on 30th April 1936, his brother Laurence Housman, was responsible for the posthumous
publication of More Poems and Additional Poems. His ashes were buried against the north wall of St Lawrence's Church,
Ludlow and a statue of him was erected in Bromsgrove High Street in 1985.
The HOUSMAN SOCIETY was founded in 1973 and exists to promote knowledge and appreciation of the lives and
works of A.E. Housman and other members of his family. The Society also promotes the causes of literature and poetry
in general. It produces an annual Journal (index here), organises discussions, visits and poetry readings. Commemorations are held in Bromsgrove on 26th March (A.E. Housman's birthday) and in Ludlow on 30th April, the date of A.E.H's death.". It sponsors an
annual lecture under the title The Name and Nature of Poetry at the Hay Festival of Literature in May/June each year.
1996 was the centenary of the publication of A Shropshire Lad and the climax to a year of varied celebration was the
dedication of a window to A.E. Housman in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey.
For further information apply to the Society at:
80 New Road,
Bromsgrove,
Worcs B60 2LA, England.
Email :
The Westerly Wanderer
A Brief Life by Jeremy Bourne. Paperback £8.95
Housman's Places by Robin Shaw.
A guide, illustrated by drawings, photographs and maps, to the places important in the life of A.E. Housman. Hardback
£14.99. Paperback £7.99
Unkind to Unicorns
Selected Comic Verse by A.E. Housman. Second Edition prepared by Dr Archie Burnett £7.50 Collectors' Edition £25.00.
Westminster Abbey Testimonials
A collection of Testimonials by writers, academics and politicians supporting A.E.H.'s acceptance into Poets' Corner,
Westminster Abbey in 1996. Paperback £5.00
An Index to Archie Burnett's Commentary on The Poems of A.E. Housman
(Oxford: Clarendon Press 1997) by Paul Naiditch £4.00
Soldier, I wish you well
by Jeremy Bourne. Paperback £9.50.
The military poems of A.E. Housman and the Letters from Burma of his brother George Herbert.
Three Bromsgrove Poets
An Anthology of poems by A.E. Housman, Geoffrey Hill and Molly Holden. Paperback £7.50
The Name and Nature of Poetry.
The Leslie Stephen Lecture delivered by A.E. Housman in Cambridge in 1933. Paperback £5.00.
OTHER BOOKS available from the Society:
The Invention of Love
Tom Stoppard's play (1997) with A.E. Housman as the central character. Paperback 6.99
The Land of Lost Content
The landscape of Housman's poetry by Jane Allsopp. Paperback £10.99
A Shropshire Lad
With wood engravings by Agnes Miller Parker. Paperback £8.50
A Shropshire Lad.
Pocket edition published by Palmers Press at £4.00.
A Shropshire Lad with photographs
by Gareth B. Thomas.
Published by Merlin Books to celebrate A.E. Housman's 150th birthday. Gareth Thomas's evocative photographs brilliantly illustrate Housman's lyrical verse.. £20.00 including postage. Frontispiece reproduced.
Prints of the Francis Dodd Portrait of Housman and a postcard version are available at £10.00 and £1.00 for 5 respectively.
Also there is a postcard of Bromsgrove buildings associated with Housman at £1.00 for 5, as well as tapes, paperweights and
other items of merchandise.
Four high quality Greetings Cards with a Housman poem illustrated by Shropshire scenes,
are available at £1.50 each (4 for £5.00 plus p & p of £1.00).
Examples right, click to enlarge
Programme 2008/9
HOUSMAN SOCIETY
Calendar of Events for 2009
150th Anniversary of the Birth of A.E. Housman
For further details and ticket information email:
Wednesday 4 March 2009 7.30pm
80 New Road, Bromsgrove B60 2LA A SHROPSHIRE LAD as HYPERTEXT
A practical demonstration by Andrew Maund Preceded by Annual General Meeting
Saturday 7 March 2009 at 3.30pm
St Mary's Church, Bathwick Hill, Bathwick, Avon BA2 4EB SONGS from A SHROPSHIRE LAD
Gordon Pullin (tenor) and John Laycock (piano) in songs by Butterworth, VW, Bax, Moeran, Berkeley, Barber, Somervell, Duke & Peel plus songs from the English Poetry and Song Society. Tickets (£9.00 & Conc £7.00) from 01225 463362.
Wednesday 25 March 2009 at 7.30pm
The Assembly Rooms, Ludlow SY8 1AZ A.E. HOUSMAN - AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
An illustrated lecture by David Lloyd to mark the anniversary of Housman's birth. This event also celebrates the launch of a brand new edition of A Shropshire Lad with brilliant photographs by Gareth Thomas, FRPS.
Thursday 26 March 2009 12.30pm
The Statue, High Street, Bromsgrove & at the Council House for lunch afterwards A.E.H. BIRTHDAY COMMEMORATION
Nick Owen, Presenter of Midlands Today and Graham Trew, Chairman of the Association of English Speakers and Singers, are joint guests of the day. Launch of an exciting new edition of A Shropshire Lad with photos by Gareth Thomas.
Saturday 4 April 2009 10.30am
St John's College, Oxford SPECIAL EVENT Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of A.E.H.'s Birth Professor Christopher Ricks and Professor Archie Burnett lead the day with a presentation, A.E. Housman - A Life in Letters. Elizabeth Oakley talks about Clemence Housman and Mark Stone & Stephen Barlow will give a recital of Butterworth, Vaughan Williams and Somervell. Rob Clare reads the poetry and Malcolm Davies talks about Housman and Oxford. Tickets £45.00 including lunch etc from Housman Society.
Saturday 25 April 2009 7.30pm
St James', Piccadilly, London WAR POETS CONCERT
A concert of poems by War Poets set to music, with Nicholas Mulroy (tenor), William Coleman (baritone) and Anna Tilbrook (piano). To include A Shropshire Lad cycle by Butterworth. In association with Wilfred Owen Assocation, the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship, Ivor Gurney Society and Rupert Brooke Society.
Nave £20, Aisles £15, Gallery £10. Tickets on sale in February. Cheques payable to: "WOA - Events." Bookings: Sam Gray Tel: 01323 641520 or
Wednesday 29 April 2009 11.00am
Ludlow - by the plaque on the North Wall of St Laurence's A.E.H. LUDLOW COMMEMORATION
The ceremony by the tablet on the north wall of St Laurence's will be followed by a presentation in the Assembly Rooms from Peter Sisley, 'Collecting A.E. Housman' and lunch.
Friday 1 May 2009 7.45pm
Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ A SHROPSHIRE LAD
An evening of words and music from MUSE. Andrew Bannerman (speaker), Richard Frewer (tenor) and David Price (piano) perform at the Bromsgrove Festival.
Friday 8 May 2009 7.30pm
Machynlleth Tabernacle, Machynlleth, Powys A SHROPSHIRE LAD
An evening of words and music from MUSE. Andrew Bannerman (speaker), Richard Frewer (tenor) and David Price (piano).
Sunday 10 May 2009 3.00pm
Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution, South Grove, London N6
Tube: Archway, Highgate A HOUSMAN CELEBRATION
Songs and an appraisal of A.E.H.'s life and work by Richard Stokes
Derek Welton (baritone), Bojana Dimkovic (piano)
In association with the Hampstead & Highgate Festival - Tickets 0870 033 2733
Sunday, 10 May 7.30pm STRATFORD POETRY FESTIVAL
Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street THE LAND OF LOST CONTENT - Music and Readings
Jan Hartley, Belinda Lang, Christopher Luscombe, Malcolm Mckee, David Timson Devised and directed by Malcolm McKee
Thursday 14th May 2009 7.30pm
Housman Room, Bromsgrove School B61 7DU WORDS and MUSIC
An evening to include readings of Shakespeare and Housman which Bromsgrove School pupils have been working on during the year.
Free Entry - Directions from Chairman 01527 874136.
Wednesday 27 May 2009 - 6.00pm (time tbc)
Hay-on-Wye THE HOUSMAN LECTURE at The Hay Festival of Literature - The Name and Nature of Poetry. Lavinia Greenlaw - Poet, critic and novelist. Lavinia Greenlaw has published three collections of poetry and Minsk (2003) was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot, Forward and Whitbread Poetry Prizes. Her first novel, Mary George of Allnorthover, was published in 2001 and a second novel, An Irresponsible Age, appeared in 2006. She is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. Separate leaflet available from Hay.
Sunday 28 June 2009 at 3.00pm
St Bartholemews, Tardebigge, Bromsgrove SONG RECITAL by Jeremy Huw Williams & Nigel Foster
To include Eclogue by Julian Phillips. 01527 872422.
Thursday 2nd July 2009 7.30pm
St Laurence's, Ludlow JAMES GILCHRIST (tenor) and THE SCHUBERT ENSEMBLE
A special programme, to include Vaughan Williams' On Wenlock Edge, Gurney's Ludlow and Teme and Elgar's Piano Quintet. Tickets (£29-£15) from 1 April from Festival Box Office, Castle Square, Ludlow SY8 1AY. Phone (after 1 May) 01584 872150.
Sunday 5th July 2009 - Meet in car park by Clun Bridge at 10.00am.
Clun, Shropshire A WALK IN HOUSMAN COUNTRY
Experienced walkers David and Marjorie Cashmore will lead a walk to the top of Bury Ditches. Lunch at the Sun Inn, Clun, followed by an afternoon following the Clun Heritage Trail.
Sunday 26 July 2009 at 3.00pm
St Bartholemews, Tardebigge, Bromsgrove SONG RECITAL by Tom Randle & Elizabeth Rowe
To include commissioned Housman setting by Tom Randle. 01527 872422.
Sunday 30 August 2009 at 3.00pm
St Bartholemews, Tardebigge, Bromsgrove SONG RECITAL by Susan Bickley & Iain Burnside
To include Eight O'Clock by Roderick Williams. 01527 872422.
9th to 18th October 2009
Town Hall, Cheltenham Cheltenham Festival of Literature - HOUSMAN EVENT. Details to be announced.
Friday 23 October 2009, 8.00 pm
Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove RODERICK WILLIAMS (baritone) & SUSIE ALLAN (piano)
Recital of settings of Housman's poetry to music to include, Butterworth, Somervell, Ireland & Williams. Preceded by a talk in Housman Hall by Graham Trew on setting Housman to music. This event opens the Society's Weekend Conference (detailed next).
Friday to Sunday 23-25 October 2009
Housman Hall, Kidderminster Road, Bromsgrove SOCIETY WEEKEND CONFERENCE
Participating will be Colin Dexter, Richard Perceval Graves, Linda Hart, Elizabeth Oakley, David Parsons, Robin & Kate Shaw, Peter Sisley, Graham Trew and Gabriel Woolf. There will be a recital on Friday evening of Housman settings by Roderick Williams (baritone) and Susie Allan (piano) in Bromsgrove's arts centre, Artrix. Tours of Bromsgrove School and the Catshill area will be led by Jeremy Bourne and Robin Shaw and the launch of Elizabeth Oakley's book, Inseparable Siblings, will also take place during the weekend. Detailed programme available.
Saturday 24 October 2009, 7.45 pm
Middleton Hall, University of Hull RODERICK WILLIAMS (baritone) & SUSIE ALLAN (piano)
Recital of Settings of Housman's Poetry to include, Butterworth, Somervell, Ireland & Williams. 01482 465631
Thursday 5 November 2009 4.30pm (date to be confirmed)
Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ POETRY SPEAKING COMPETITION FINALS
Competing pupils from Bromsgrove's Senior Schools will speak a poem by A.E. Housman and another poem of their own choice.
Saturday 28 November 2009 4.30pm
Town Hall, Chipping Campden VISIT TO THE COURT BARN MUSEUM in Chipping Campden.
Followed by Dear Mrs Ashbee - dramatic readings with music (songs of L.H.) of the correspondence between Laurence Housman and Janet Ashbee, given by Celia Jones and Pamela Marsh. (£5 including wine afterwards. Proceeds to Guild of Handicraft Trust for Court Barn Museum, Chipping Campden.)
2009 is the 60th anniversary of Laurence Housman's death and the 75th of the first performance of Victoria Regina.
For details of any of these events get in touch with the Chairman, Jim Page on 01527 878586 or by e-mail
Further information about the Society and the above books and merchandise is available from The Housman Society at 80
New Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 2LA, England. [Map] Email:
Overseas buyers should send £ sterling drafts or international money orders payable to The Housman Society. Otherwise
add £5.00 to the total before calculating non-£ sterling equivalent. Please add £1.00 for postage in UK, £3.00 overseas.
