Priestley’s Wars

Art and the First World War: Global to Local is a series of public talks co-hosted by Leeds Art Gallery, Legacies of War and the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds, to be held at Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds City Centre.

Bradford-born, JB Priestley was a man whose life virtually spanned the 20th Century, and a writer who was one of England’s best-loved literary figures. In 'Priestley's Wars', speaker Neil Hanson traces a personal odyssey through his writings on war - as an enthusiastic volunteer in the First World War, and then a post-war transformation that would ultimately make Priestley one of the most influential voices for peace and disarmament. In previously unpublished letters he wrote while serving on the Somme, it is possible to detect the foundations of the voice of the hugely successful author, playwright and broadcaster of the inter-war years, whose ‘Postscripts’ radio broadcasts in the early years of the Second World War attracted audiences of 16 million listeners, but which eventually so infuriated Churchill that the broadcasts were abruptly dropped.

Neil Hanson, who lives in Ilkley, is the author of several acclaimed works of narrative history: ‘The Custom of the Sea’, ‘The Dreadful Judgement’, ‘The Confident Hope of a Miracle’, ‘First Blitz’ and ‘Escape from Germany’. His critically-acclaimed, best-selling 'The Unknown Soldier' was described by the New York Times as ‘An unforgettable picture of life in the hottest sectors of the Western Front’. He has also written screenplays, thrillers, short stories, a serious novel, a playscript for a musical, travel journalism, and regularly works as a 'ghostwriter'.

See here for details of other talks in the series.

For more information on Legacies of War, contact Dr Claudia Sternberg.