in sussex with the bloomsbury group
june 2027
prof. emerita penny gay & dr kathleen olive
*** Preliminary Itinerary ***
Encounter the writers and artists of the Bloomsbury Group in Sussex, from Virginia Woolf to Vanessa Bell and Vita Sackville-West and their homes, studios and summertime gardens
OVERVIEW
In the early years of the twentieth century, key writers, artists and intellectuals set up homes in Sussex. Although it could be reached with relative ease from London, it represented a world apart for Virginia and Leonard Woolf, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and a constant stream of interesting visitors.
This 9-day tour is a journey into Sussex alongside members of the Bloomsbury Group. Commencing in London, we briefly explore the areas of old Bloomsbury, from the majestic nineteenth-century British Museum Reading Room to the “life in squares” of Virginia and Vanessa Stephen and their friends and lovers: among them, art critics Clive Bell and Roger Fry, novelist EM Forster, publisher Leonard Woolf, biographer Lytton Strachey and political theorist GM Keynes.
We then travel to Lewes for seven nights, a Sussex town with a Norman castle and charming old streets. At Monk’s House, we see the spaces in which Virginia Woolf lived and wrote major works, including A Room of One’s Own and To the Lighthouse. In the exuberant decoration of Charleston Farmhouse and Berwick Church, we encounter the work of her sister Vanessa Bell and Vanessa’s lover Duncan Grant. On an excursion into Kent, Vita Sackville-West’s Knole and Sissinghurst Castle take us into the aristocratic world that so entranced Virginia, and provide a special key for understanding her novel Orlando.
We take leisurely walks to admire the rolling South Downs and the chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters, and there is ample time at Charleston and Sissinghurst to enjoy two superb and artistically-designed gardens. The tour concludes with one night in London, at the at RAF museum to learn about the impact of the Battle of Britain, and to take a final Marylebone walk alongside the characters of Mrs Dalloway.
TOUR LEADERS
Penny Gay is Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney, where she taught for many years, largely in the field of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature. Her PhD from University College London examined the works, lives and cultural connections of members of the Bloomsbury Group, particularly the writers EM Forster and Virginia Woolf. An erudite and engaging presenter, Penny continues to give public lectures and lead seminars on a wide range of literature.
On this tour, Prof. Gay is joined by Dr Kathleen Olive. Kathleen has a PhD in Italian Studies from the University of Sydney and has led small group cultural tours to Western Europe, North America, East Asia and Australasia for more than twenty years. She is known for her attentive and engaging leadership of a group. Kathleen has fond memories of her time studying English Literature with Prof. Gay at the University of Sydney, particularly the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries.
TOUR LEADERS
Penny Gay is Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney, where she taught for many years, largely in the field of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature. Her PhD from University College London examined the works, lives and cultural connections of members of the Bloomsbury Group, particularly the writers EM Forster and Virginia Woolf. An erudite and engaging presenter, Penny continues to give public lectures and lead seminars on a wide range of literature.
On this tour, Prof. Gay is joined by Dr Kathleen Olive. Kathleen has a PhD in Italian Studies from the University of Sydney and has led small group cultural tours to Western Europe, North America, East Asia and Australasia for more than twenty years. She is known for her attentive and engaging leadership of a group. Kathleen has fond memories of her time studying English Literature with Prof. Gay at the University of Sydney, particularly the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries.
Highlights
Explore the world of Virginia Woolf, from Bloomsbury’s squares to country-town Lewes and Monk’s House
Enjoy a before-hours tour of the glorious gardens of Vita Sackville-West’s Sissinghurst
Discover the art made in situ by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, in the Berwick church murals and their home at Charleston Farmhouse
View stunning landscapes that inspired writing and artworks: chalk cliffs, the South Downs and villages
See London from a new perspective, including ‘walking in Mrs Dalloway’, and the Battle of Britain
Deepen your understanding of Bloomsbury art, literature and context, with talks and on-site commentary by Prof. Penny Gay
Questions?
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