Celebrating the world of words

Discover how Southwell and Newark shaped Lord Byron’s early life and poetry, in this richly illustrated talk featuring rare images and unpublished works.

Join Geoffrey Bond OBE, DL, FSA—Byron expert and author of Byron’s Manor: Birthplace of His Poetry—for a fascinating exploration of Lord Byron’s formative years and the places that shaped his earliest work.

In this special Newark Book Festival event, Bond draws on decades of research and personal insight to offer a fresh perspective on Byron’s early life in Southwell. Speaking from the rare vantage point of someone who has lived in Burgage Manor—Byron’s Southwell residence—for over 30 years, Bond takes audiences through the poet’s time in Nottinghamshire, where he wrote and published his first four volumes of poetry. He also explores Byron’s connection to Newark, where his early works were printed by Samuel Ridge.

Whether you’re a lover of poetry, literary history, or local heritage, this event offers a rare chance to step into Byron’s world—and the rooms where it all began.