Target reached!
The stretch target is to donate copies of a special centenary book, Poetry and Old A...
Stanley Middleton Plaque
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom
Aim
A plaque commemorating Nottingham novelist Stanley Middleton outside the Sherwood house where he wrote the vast majority of his novels.
Who was Stanley Middleton?
Born in Bulwell, the son of a railway worker, Stanley Middleton was a novelist and a schoolteacher who lived in Nottingham all of his life (except during the Second World War), moving to Sherwood in 1961. Nearly all of Stanley's 45 novels were set in or around Nottingham, which he called 'Beechnall' in the novels. He published a novel a year most years from the age of 39. One of them, Holiday, shared the Booker Prize in 1974.
Why a plaque?
2019 is the centenary of Stanley Middleton's birth. I was a friend and neighbour of his and hope to see a plaque on the front of his former home, 42, Caledon Rd, Sherwood, Nottingham to celebrate Stanley's contribution to the city and to literature. Nottingham Civic Society have given the go ahead. Stanley's family and the current owners wholeheartedly support the idea. Rather than seek large donations, we think it best to invite as many people as possible to contribute and come to the launch.
When will it be unveiled?
The idea is to unveil the plaque on the centenary itself, August 1st. The unveiling will be preceded by a book launch at Sherwood Library, which Stanley visited every week. Shoestring Press are publishing 'Poetry and Old Age', the first ever collection of Stanley's poetry, most of which wasn't published in his lifetime. If we exceed the relatively modest £400 target, there'll be a 'stretch' target, to allow us to donate copies of the book to all Nottinghamshire libraries. There will be other events to celebrate his centenary. Contributors will be updated as they're announced.
This project successfully funded on 29th May 2019