Lecture
Frankenstein and Ozymandias; Discovering the Shelleys of Marlow
Speaker: Heather Adams
Tue, 3 Jun 2025
About the lecture:
In the quiet town of Great Marlow between 1817 and 1818, Mary Shelley completed her revolutionary novel Frankenstein, a work that continues to captivate readers today. At the same time, her husband, the renowned Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, penned Ozymandias, a haunting reflection on the impermanence of power.
Amidst the political upheavals of early 19th-century Britain—marked by wars, social unrest, and calls for reform—the Shelleys found refuge in Marlow. Their time in Marlow was one of domesticity and artistic production, yet their works challenged conventional thinking and reflected their radical spirit.
Join Heather Adams as she delves into the personal and political forces that shaped the Shelleys’ lives during this tumultuous era, and explores the relevance of Marlow to two of the most influential literary figures of the Romantic period.
Our lecturer: Heather Adams
Heather Adams has recently been awarded a Masters Degree by Oxford University studying Early Modern History through the interdisciplinary lens of art, architecture, literature, and the material culture of the day. Before retirement she ran a successful Literary Agency, identifying and launching authors of both fiction and non-fiction. She is a Trustee of Marlow Musuem and her current exhibition, celebrating the Writers of Marlow, runs until the end of March, 2025.