Actor Jeremy Irons and novelist Ali Smith now head the line-up for this year’s T. S. Eliot Festival, to be held at Little Gidding on Sunday July 9th.

The Festival is held each year in the grounds of Little Gidding: a day of talks, readings and discussions, with the opportunity for visitors to see inside the church which inspired the last of Eliot’s Four Quartets.

On the centenary of the publication of Prufrock and Other Observations, T. S. Eliot’s first collection of poetry, the award-winning novelist Ali Smith will read ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’, and discuss the poem with biographer Adam Begley.

And in a unique performance, Jeremy Irons, actor and celebrated reader of T. S. Eliot, will read Little Gidding at Little Gidding

This year’s event also features lectures by two distinguished academics, Robert Crawford and Marjorie Perloff. And in addition to the programme of Eliot-related events, morning coffee, a two-course buffet lunch, and afternoon tea are served.

Full details and booking are here.