Queer Witch's Statue Honored in UK Town

A new statue honoring the influential Victorian author and LGBTQ+ pioneer Sylvia Townsend Warner has been unveiled in Dorchester, England. Warner, known for her feminist novel 'Lolly Willowes,' was a prolific writer, translator, musicologist, and political activist, contributing extensively to The New Yorker and other publications. She was also a communist and an LGBTQ+ pioneer who lived openly with her partner, Valentine Ackland.

The lifesize sculpture, created by Denise Dutton, depicts Warner seated with a cat, a nod to her love for animals and her literary portrayal of witches. Campaign leader Anya Pearson emphasized the statue's significance in asserting the rightful place of women's and queer women's narratives within public spaces. This effort follows Pearson's previous success in campaigning for a statue of palaeontologist Mary Anning.

The campaign to fund Warner's statue, costing £60,000, was achieved through crowdfunding and international donations. Pearson highlighted the importance of statues in shaping collective memory and challenging the historical overrepresentation of men, particularly in contexts of war. This initiative is part of a growing national effort, including campaigns for memorials to figures like Virginia Woolf and the 'match girls,' aiming to rectify the symbolic annihilation of women in civic landscapes.