Circle of Six Gillingham - Rosemary Tonks

A talk about the life and work of Gillingham-born author Rosemary Tonks

Rosemary was a talented and influential writer, publishing six novels for adults, children's books, two poetry collections and numerous articles during her lifetime.

This talk is part of an Arts-council funded project, spearheaded by Medway Libraries, celebrating the lives and work of six extraordinary women with a close and personal connection to Gillingham in Kent.

The six women are: Suffragist and peace campaigner, Dame Kathleen Courtney, African princess and friend to Queen Victoria, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, pioneering psychiatrist, Dr Lorna Wing, poet and novelist, Rosemary Desmond Boswell Tonks, inventor and engineer, Verena Holmes and artist Eileen Tirzah Garwood.

Talk recorded 24 May 2022 at Gillingham Library, and shared with kind permission of the speakers.

Excerpts of Rosemary's work shared with kind permission of Vintage, Penguin Random House and @BloodaxeBooks

Timings
0:00:00 Sarah Jenkin: Introduction to the talk and the Circle of Six project
0:05:00 Sam Rapp: Creative Medway and Co-Yoda
0:10:55 Jeremy Clarke: Rosemary Tonks
1:13:37 Performance of an extract from 'the Bloater' by Rosemary Tonks, from Lizzie Partridge
1:28:19 Performance of three poems from 'Bedouin of a London Evening' by Rosemary Tonks, from Lizzie Partridge

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