Dorset’s renowned Victorian novelist and poet will be celebrated at the 27th International Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival from July 25 – August 1 attracting literature buffs from across the globe.

Lectures from keynote speakers followed by panel sessions at the Dorford Centre in Dorchester will give academics and scholars the opportunity to present their current research.

This year, which marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Hand of Ethelberta, the Thomas Hardy Conference features coach tours, whilst visits and walks are on offer every afternoon.

The event is based at the Dorford Centre at the Dorchester Baptist Church in Bridport Road, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1RR.

However there are also trips planned to Oxford, Sherborne, Portland, Wolfeton House, Weymouth, Lulworth Cove as well as Hardy’s Cottage and Max Gate.

The event includes workshops on poetry, creative writing and how to use the Hardy Archive for research.

The archive includes manuscripts for three of Thomas Hardy’s major novels, his notebooks, photographs and over 5,000 letters is now accessible to all.

It is the largest collection of Hardy material in the world. It is free to access by appointment at the Dorset History Centre in Dorchester and the catalogue can be viewed online.

Funded by Dorset Council and BCP Council, the history centre cares for and provides public access to some of Dorset’s most important historic collections.

Eleven notebooks filled with Hardy’s handwriting have been digitised and are free to view online, along with draft manuscripts of Under the Greenwood Tree, The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Woodlanders.

The archive comprises more than 100 boxes and is held on deposit at the history centre for Dorset Museum and Art Gallery.

Thomas Hardy gifted his manuscript of The Mayor of Casterbridge to Dorset County Museum in 1911. Personal items, correspondence and further manuscripts were bequeathed following Hardy’s death, while other material has since been acquired by the museum and the history centre by donation, deposit or purchase.

The cataloguing project began in 2024 following a successful fundraising campaign led by Dorset Archives Trust, supported by The National Archives, The National Trust, local charities and many generous donations from
the public.

The archive illuminates many aspects of Hardy’s life including his youth and his early career as an architect, as well as his career as a writer. It includes school exercise books, architectural drawings, sketches, and the Hardy family music books in addition to manuscripts for Hardy’s poetry and prose.

Hardy’s correspondence offers vital insights into his social and professional networks, with letters from key writers and thinkers including Robert Louis Stevenson, Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Siegfried Sassoon and Virginia Woolf.

The conference’s evening entertainment includes music, dance and song from The New Hardy Players, The Hardy Annuals, Tim Laycock and Friends, James Graham, a promenade performance by Wey Valley Academy and of course, a Hardy Quiz.

Grassby Funeral Services and Dorchester BID are sponsoring the event.

For the full conference details and how to book, head to the Hardy Society website.

The aim of the Thomas Hardy Society is to promote the great British novelist and poet’s life and work for education and enjoyment. Membership is for scholars, students, general enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in Thomas Hardy and the Wessex countryside.