The first Whitchurch Arts Award was given in January 2010 to local author, and Whitchurch Arts member, Richard Adams who gained wide readership through his popular book ‘Watership Down‘. (Photos are in our gallery HERE.)
Wiltshire Society magazine wrote in their March 2010 edition, “For all his prestigious awards, Adams ranks receiving an inspiration award from Whitchurch Arts, his home turf, as extra special.”
The Watership Down pub, Freefolk, Hampshire, UK
The award was presented at a scrumptious luncheon that was hosted by Graham Burgess, Director of Arts, at the nearby Watership Down pub. Of course, rabbit pie was on the menu! A big thank you goes out to the new landlords Michelle and Peter Cozens, who themselves are talented artists ~ do drop in to see their spectacular stained glass pieces and to enjoy their hearty, delicious meals.
Graham celebrates the artist Richard Adams, with Sir George Young, MP, listening intently.
Graham introduced the gathered crowd to Richard and his wife, and together with Sir George Young, MP, presented Richard with our Award.
Richard receives the Whitchurch Arts Award for 2010.
Both Graham and Sir George gave a short speech beforehand. Below is Graham’s, for Sir George’s please visit his website HERE.
Lively chatter.
A visitor to the event, Howard Burchett, has kindly given permission for the video he took to be shown here – our sincere thanks are extended to him for this.
Watch a short video of the award presentation (WMV format video)
Graham read the following to everyone gathered…
Around 1616 a clergyman in Gloucestershire by the name of Richard Davies recorded that Shakespeare was known to poach deer and rabbits on the property of local landowner Sir Thomas Lucy, who “oft had him whipped and sometimes imprisoned.”
This might explain why Shakespeare never focussed his sensitive energies on the topic of Rabbits.
This left a massive gap in the literary market.
Fortunately one Richard Adams considered it a worthy topic. There is no record of whether he poached these creatures. If he did it is unlikely he was caught and punished for that might have driven him away from the topic also.
Richard was born close to here in Newbury on 9th May 1920
He enjoyed a good education and served in the British army from 1940 to 1946. After the war, he continued to study, gained his bachelor of arts, and in 1953 became a master of Arts. After 1948 he joined the Civil Service and began writing in his spare time.
Here we touch upon the reason for Whitchurch Arts initiaiting this event. All artists whatever their area of interest start by investing in their own time. He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, and they insisted he publish it as a book. It took two years to write and was rejected by 13 publishers. Over the next few years Watership Down sold over a million copies worldwide. Watership Down has become a modern classic and in 1972 was awarded both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for Children’s Fiction. To date, Richard’s best-known work has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.
So, Richard invested in what he believed in and achieved a basic success at that level. Those close to him benefitted. That more than anything else we celebrate today.
Then one publisher had the vision and what Richard had created became available to the world.
The printing presses existed already as did the distribution services and the bookstores but the key thing was an individual’s…
Inspiration
Creativity
Investment of his time.
So in celebration of that we are giving our first Inspiration Award to Richard.
