Who is Sylvia Townsend Warner and why is she being honored with a statue in Dorchester?

Sylvia Townsend Warner was a prolific author, LGBTQ+ pioneer, and activist. Her statue in Dorchester celebrates her literary achievements and her life as an authentic, boundary-pushing woman.

What is the significance of the new statue campaign for women's stories in the UK?

The campaign, led by Anya Pearson, aims to ensure women's and queer women's stories are visible in public spaces, counteracting historical male dominance in civic monuments.

Where are other statues of notable women being erected in the UK?

Similar campaigns are underway for figures like Virginia Woolf in Richmond, Aphra Behn in Canterbury, and memorials for suffragettes and factory workers in Brighton and Crewe.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Queer Witch's Statue Honored in UK Town

Queer Witch's Statue Honored in UK Town

12 Dec

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Summary

A statue honoring LGBTQ+ pioneer Sylvia Townsend Warner unveiled in Dorchester.
Warner, a prolific writer, was also a communist and activist.
The statue campaign aimed to elevate women's and queer women's stories in public spaces.

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.