Past Events Archive: 2025

Venue: Friends Meeting House, 120 Heath Street, Hampstead, NW3 1DR
Time: 14.00-16.00

In honour of our late President,
Timothy Hyman, RA

We have chosen Weymouth Sands for this day honouring Tim because it was his favourite novel by JCP. In Chapter One, which establishes the atmosphere and landscape of the novel, readers may detect JCP’s influence on Tim’s own artistic practice: panoramic scenes, evocations of childhood memories (“Weymouth is my home and ever will be” said JCP in his diary), the topographical representation of real places, landmarks, streets and buildings, the elemental world “between the land and the sea”, and especially a cast of extraordinary characters. In Chapter One we are introduced to Magnus Muir, a teacher of Latin, who JCP described as the hero of the novel, and who is clearly a self-portrait. We are also introduced to other characters, their individual stories and interactions – Perdita Wane, Jobber Skald, Sylvanus Cobbold and Curly Wix all of whom have important roles later in the novel. The characters of the book, said JCP, seemed to him to emerge in a rush out of limbo and airy nothing. They are portrayed convincingly with empathy and a vivid sense of physical presence. But JCP found working on the novel, including Chapter One, difficult to achieve. He worked slowly and carefully, like a craftsman, utilising he said the powers of a magician. He experienced several false starts but retained the first paragraph of Chapter One which is a magnificent description of the sea and waves. JCP commenced writing Weymouth Sands at the beginning of February 1932, using his father’s quill pen, and finished the novel in 1933.

Weymouth Sands was first published in USA in 1934. The novel first appeared in the UK in 1935 under the title Jobber Skald and included many alterations and substitutions of names to avoid accusations of libel. A complete edition of Weymouth Sands, emending the earlier version published as Jobber Skald, was first published in UK by Macdonald in 1963. Other modern editions have followed. An e-book, published by the Powys Society, is available on Kindle.

Suggested background reading:

• Dry Sand and Wet Sand – a close reading of Weymouth Sands, by Anthony Low in In The Spirit Of Powys, New Essays, 1990
• Mysticism, Trivia and Sensations – Observations on Weymouth Sands by Susan Huxtable Selly in Powys Review No.11, 1982/1983
• JCP diaries 1932-1933: A Selection on the Writing of Weymouth Sands, introduced by Morine Krissdóttir, Powys Journal, Vol. II, 1992

— Chris Thomas.

All are welcome
Refreshments will be provided
The event is free.