When Ronald Blythe died earlier this year at the age of 100, we lost one of our greatest writers on the English countryside, a witty, gentle observer of the enduring beauty of Suffolk and the tenacity of its people. Descended from generations of farmworkers and largely self-taught, Ronnie is best known for his 1969 book, Akenfield, but his writing grew richer and more lyrical with age and his final book, Next to Nature, is a beautiful, illuminating ode to village life and the agricultural year, witnessed from the yeoman’s house in the Stour Valley where he lived for half a century.
In this special event for Felixstowe, Ronnie’s friend and biographer, Ian Collins, and Suffolk-born author Nicola Upson will look back on a remarkable life and celebrate Ronnie’s unique and lasting legacy.
