The Anthony Powell Society is an international

literary society A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of writing or a specific author. Modern literary societies typically promote research, publish newsle ...

dedicated to the works of English novelist

Anthony Powell Anthony Dymoke Powell ( ; 21 December 1905 – 28 March 2000) was an English novelist best known for his 12-volume work ''A Dance to the Music of Time'', published between 1951 and 1975. It is on the list of longest novels in English. Powell' ...

. Membership is open to all interested in ''

A Dance to the Music of Time ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' is a 12-volume ''roman-fleuve'' by English writer Anthony Powell, published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim. The story is an often comic examination of movements and manners, power and passivity in Eng ...

'' and Powell's other works. Powell was regarded by such writers as

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...

and

Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis (16 April 1922 – 22 October 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, short stories, radio and television scripts, and works of social a ...

as amongst the greatest British novelists of the 20th century, a view supported by present-day critics like A. N. Wilson. He has been called the English equivalent of Marcel Proust. Powell's work remains the object of wide enthusiasm among a growing circle of readers. The Society holds regular meetings in the UK (in the greater London region) and US (in the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

metropolitan areas), and less frequently in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, Australia, Sweden and Japan. It publishes a journal, ''Secret Harmonies'' and a newsletter, mounts biennial conferences, and hosts an Internet discussion group.

Background and aims

The Anthony Powell Society was founded in June 2000 by a group of scholars and enthusiasts following Powell's death in March of that year at the age of 94. The Society's aim is to advance for the public benefit, education and interest in his life and works. It is registered as a charity in the UK. The Society emerged from the Anthony Powell Resources website begun in 1994 by Dr Keith Marshall and its associated email discussion list arising from the interest in Powell stimulated by the dramatisation of ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' on UK

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

TV in autumn 1997 and following his death. The Society's formation was actively welcomed by his late widow, Lady Violet Powell, and continues to receive the support and encouragement of his family and literary executors. Charitable status was granted in April 2003. Currently, the Hon. Secretary of the group is Paul Milliken; the Chairman is Robin Bynoe; and the President is Lord Gowrie.

Publications

The Society publishes a quarterly newsletter and a journal Secret Harmonies edited by Stephen Walker. It also publishes original works including guides, concordances and Anthony Powell's unpublished or out of print journalism and a photographic record of the collage a the, Chantry (the house in Somerset where Anthony Powell and his wife Lady Violet lived from 1952) A full list is on the Society's website.

Exhibitions

A centenary exhibition in commemoration of Powell's life and work was held at the

Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built the extensive collection, along ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, from November 2005 to February 2006. Smaller exhibitions were held during 2005 and 2006 at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

;

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

; the

Grolier Club The Grolier Club is a private club and society of bibliophiles in New York City. Founded in January 1884, it is the oldest existing bibliophilic club in North America. The club is named after Jean Grolier de Servières, Viscount d'Aguisy, Tre ...

, and

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

Website

The Society hosts a comprehensive websit
www.anthonypowell.org
providing biographical information on Powell, a full bibliography, resources and reference libraries, plus trivia and FAQs. Reports on the biennial conferences and exhibitions are also included. In addition to the conferences and meetings the Society organises, members around the world have also established regional groups and run local events. Through the email discussion list members have provided assistance with the DeProm translation of the initial volumes of ''A Dance to the Music of Time'' into Dutch.

Conferences

Conferences addressed by prominent authors, critics and scholars are organised every second year. The first in 2001 was held at Powell's public school,

. The second, in 2003, was hosted by

Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the ...

, Oxford, from which he graduated. The third at the

, London, the home of the painting from which Powell's masterwork derives its name, was held in December 2005 to coincide with a major exhibition to mark the centenary of his birth. The fourth biennial Anthony Powell Conference was held on 8 September 2007 at the

University of Bath (Virgil, Georgics II) , mottoeng = Learn the culture proper to each after its kind , established = 1886 (Merchant Venturers Technical College) 1960 (Bristol College of Science and Technology) 1966 (Bath University of Technology) 1971 (univ ...

, UK. The fifth conference was held in September 2009 in Washington, DC. The sixth conference was held in September 2011 at the Naval and Military Club ("The In and Out") in London. The 2013 conference was held at

, September 27–28, and the October 2014 conference was at the

Fondazione Giorgio Cini The Giorgio Cini Foundation (''Italian: Fondazione Giorgio Cini''), or just Cini Foundation, is a cultural foundation founded 20 April 1951 in memory of Giorgio Cini, an Italian entrepreneur who died in August 1949. History The Foundation is loca ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

. The April 2016 conference was held in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. The 2018 conference was held August 31–September 2 in Merton College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Official Website
Literary societies simple:Anthony Powell