Plans for a sculpture honouring gay activist Edward Carpenter have been announced
Carpenter and his partner George Merrill were inspiration for E.M Forster's 'Maurice'
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
Plans for a sculpture honouring socialist poet and gay activist Edward Carpenter have been announced.
Carpenter, who died in 1929, was a vocal supporter of equality and sexual freedom and lived most of his life in Sheffield living openly as a gay man with his life partner George Merrill.
After World War One, the couple moved to Guilford. The couple were the inspiration behind E.M Forster’s novel ‘Maurice’.
The socialist also campaigned on issues including women’s suffrage, environmental protection and the formation of trade unions.
Now, Carpenter is set to be immortalised in Sheffield after artist Maggi Hambling agreed to create the permanent memorial in the city, the BBC reported.
Making the announcement at an event commemorating the 175th anniversary of his birth, Kate Flannery, from Friends of Edward Carpenter – who raised £175,000 for the project – said: “Edward Carpenter saw a future full of hope and a simpler way of life, a world free of sexism, class divisions, war, homophobia, a world where we live in a sustainable way.
“Not only that but he fought for them and campaigned for change.
“We feel his values resonate with many people today. That makes it extremely important that we honour his influence with a public memorial.”
A planning application is expected to be submitted before the end of the year.