A new landmark is set to bring Sylvia Townsend Warner's legacy to life in Dorchester, a writer whose work remains relatively unknown despite her trailblazing career as an LGBTQ+ pioneer. The 75-year-old statue, designed by Denise Dutton, will sit proudly in the town's main shopping area, accompanied by a nod to Warner's beloved feline companion.
Warner, who lived openly with her partner Valentine Ackland, defied convention during a time when women and queer individuals faced significant marginalization. Her writing spanned seven novels, extensive poetry, and over 150 short stories published in The New Yorker, earning her widespread recognition across two continents in the 1930s.
However, despite being celebrated for her literary contributions, Warner's name has faded from public consciousness, even in Dorchester, where she lived for decades. Her legacy is set to change with this new statue, which marks a significant milestone in efforts to commemorate overlooked women and queer individuals in public spaces.
The campaign behind the statue received over 50 nominations of women whose stories have been overlooked, all of whom were shortlisted before being put to a public vote. Warner "won by a landslide," according to Anya Pearson, who led the campaign and is also responsible for Dorchester's Mary Anning statue. The £60,000 cost was raised through crowdsourcing and international donations.
For Pearson, the value of a statue lies not just in its physical presence but in the message it conveys. By placing statues of women and queer individuals in public spaces, towns are signaling that their stories matter and deserve recognition. "It's about what towns choose to remember and celebrate," she says.
Pearson's success with Warner and Anning has led to her involvement in other female statue campaigns across the UK. Her efforts join a growing movement to commemorate overlooked women and queer individuals through memorials and statues, including Virginia Woolf and Aphra Behn already in place.
As part of this movement, Sam Johnson is working on a campaign to commemorate the match girls of east London, whose 1888 strike led by Sarah Chapman has been largely forgotten. Johnson hopes to raise awareness about their story through art installations and other public works, creating a tangible legacy that can be shared with future generations.
Warner, who lived openly with her partner Valentine Ackland, defied convention during a time when women and queer individuals faced significant marginalization. Her writing spanned seven novels, extensive poetry, and over 150 short stories published in The New Yorker, earning her widespread recognition across two continents in the 1930s.
However, despite being celebrated for her literary contributions, Warner's name has faded from public consciousness, even in Dorchester, where she lived for decades. Her legacy is set to change with this new statue, which marks a significant milestone in efforts to commemorate overlooked women and queer individuals in public spaces.
The campaign behind the statue received over 50 nominations of women whose stories have been overlooked, all of whom were shortlisted before being put to a public vote. Warner "won by a landslide," according to Anya Pearson, who led the campaign and is also responsible for Dorchester's Mary Anning statue. The £60,000 cost was raised through crowdsourcing and international donations.
For Pearson, the value of a statue lies not just in its physical presence but in the message it conveys. By placing statues of women and queer individuals in public spaces, towns are signaling that their stories matter and deserve recognition. "It's about what towns choose to remember and celebrate," she says.
Pearson's success with Warner and Anning has led to her involvement in other female statue campaigns across the UK. Her efforts join a growing movement to commemorate overlooked women and queer individuals through memorials and statues, including Virginia Woolf and Aphra Behn already in place.
As part of this movement, Sam Johnson is working on a campaign to commemorate the match girls of east London, whose 1888 strike led by Sarah Chapman has been largely forgotten. Johnson hopes to raise awareness about their story through art installations and other public works, creating a tangible legacy that can be shared with future generations.
. don't get me wrong, it's great that they're trying to commemorate these women and give them the recognition they deserve, but 50 nominations from just one campaign? seems a bit cherry-picked to me 
. what about all the other women who were pioneers in their own right, but aren't getting the same level of attention? shouldn't we be celebrating everyone's contributions, not just the ones that fit this particular narrative? 
Can you imagine Dorchester without a statue of Sylvia Townsend Warner? It's crazy she was overlooked despite being a trailblazer in her own right! 
I'm so glad this campaign came together to give her the recognition she deserves. 50 nominations for women whose stories are often forgotten is just incredible, like, we need more of these kind of movements going on! 
The fact that towns are choosing to remember and celebrate their stories through statues is such a powerful message 
And I love how Pearson's campaign has sparked other initiatives across the UK - it's all about equality, you know? 
! Sylvia Townsend Warner's legacy is so overdue, you know? It's crazy she's still kinda a mystery to most people, considering her impact on literature and her courage as an LGBTQ+ pioneer 
. I mean, it's not just about the statue itself, but what it represents - that we need to remember and celebrate women and queer individuals who broke barriers and defied norms 
. It's also dope that Denise Dutton got involved in this project, her design is supposed to be fire 
! Now, I'm keeping an eye on Sam Johnson's campaign for the match girls of east London - it's gonna be awesome to see their story get some recognition 
but for real though it's insane that her work is still kinda unknown 2 dayz in dorchester where she lived 4 decades. i mean, this new statue w/ her feline fam is gonna bring some serious life 2 the main shopping area & show ppl that women + queer folks r history 
i'm so hyped about this new statue of Sylvia Townsend Warner in Dorchester!! 
she's like, totally underrated right now but she was literally a trailblazer back in the day! 
i mean, can you even imagine how hard it must've been for her to write and live openly as an LGBTQ+ person when everyone else was just shaming queer folks? 
anywayz, this statue is gonna be lowkey amazing with her feline sidekick by her side 
and i'm literally shipping it already 
it's all about celebrating who we are and who made us who we are today 
! It's crazy how someone who paved the way for LGBTQ+ representation in literature is still kinda under the radar, especially in her own hometown. I mean, don't get me wrong, Dorchester needs to give its girl some love 
.
. And now, I hear they're working on some other projects to commemorate women who've been erased from history... Sam Johnson's match girls campaign sounds like a total game-changer 
. Bring it on!
like we shouldnt forget our history, especially the ones of women and queer individuals who paved the way for us. this new statue is such an amazing move, i hope it inspires more people to learn about warner and other overlooked women and queer individuals 