Westminster Abbey Institute has announced the final names joining the inspiring line-up of guest speakers at its forthcoming wartime poetry evening.
Award-winning actress Dame Harriet Walter will be reading alongside actor Tom Mison, best known for his standout roles in series Sleepy Hollow, See and The Ex-Wife, and stage and screen star Paul Chahidi, whose acclaimed work spans the West End and Broadway.
Taking place on Wednesday 26th November from 6.30pm to 7.45pm in the historic setting of Westminster Abbey, Walter and Mison will read works from war poets, both celebrated and less familiar, as part of the Institute’s ‘A call to words: An evening exploring poetry in wartime’ event.
The evening will be chaired by broadcaster Kavita Puri, with speakers including Christina Lamb OBE, Chief Foreign Correspondent at The Sunday Times; Louise Sandher-Jones MP, Minister for Veterans and People; and the Very Revd Dr David Hoyle KCVO MBE, Dean of Westminster – all bringing to life the power of language to capture the experience of war and shape remembrance.
The event is part of the Institute’s Autumn Series, Remembering War, Rethinking the Tasks of Peace and is set to be an evocative evening exploring the enduring value of war poetry, curated by spoken-word producer Amelia Richards and film and theatre director Josie Rourke. From the poets of historic campaigns to the words being written today, this live performance and conversation will reveal how poetry can resource, renew, and give voice to those who face conflict and its legacies.
Earlier this year, the Institute issued a callout for serving members of the armed forces and veterans to share their original works. The judges were deeply impressed by the poems received and have selected one, poem, submitted anonymously by a serving member of HM Armed Forces, to be read aloud at the grave of the Unknown Warrior – an unidentified member of the British armed forces who died on the western front during the First World War and whose body was brought from France to be buried at the Abbey in 1920.
Dr Edge Watchorn, Director of Westminster Abbey Institute, said: “We’re thrilled to have Harriet, Tom and Paul join us for what promises to be a remarkable evening. Hearing works from celebrated poets as well as a specially selected poem submitted anonymously by a member of HM Armed Forces, will movingly convey poetry’s unique capacity to put deep emotions and painful experiences into words, and to inspire both personal and collective remembrance.”
Westminster Abbey Institute was established in 2013 to nurture and revitalise moral and spiritual values in public life and service. Drawing on the Abbey’s resources of spirituality and theological learning, it brings together leaders from public institutions and public servants of all faiths and none to convene discussion, nourish reflection and inspire regeneration.
The Institute’s Autumn Series is part of a wider programme of events running throughout the year. It aims to foster meaningful discussion on public life’s biggest questions, with inspiring speakers exploring ethics, moral leadership and societal values, set within the Abbey’s unique and historic setting.
All Westminster Abbey Institute Autumn Series events are free of charge. To book tickets and for more information about each event, visit www.westminster-abbey.org/institute/public-programmes.
