Things are building up nicely for what is turning out to be a mini Larkin festival in Beverley, East Yorkshire, a town that meant a lot to Larkin. The events are centred around the first ever Larkin inspired exhibition at Beverley Art Gallery featuring the work of Seoul-based artists Yeonkyoung Lee and Sam Robinson.

 ‘Home Is So Sad’ draws on a longstanding interest in the life and work of Philip Larkin, the idea of ‘home’ as a fluid concept and new research into East Riding’s cultural history. Alongside their work, the artists have selected pieces from the permanent collections of East Riding Museums and the Philip Larkin Society. Two of the paintings chosen were owned by Larkin, and one contains his image, but all could be said to share something of the tone of his poetry as it pertains to home.

For the duration of the exhibition, a further display of objects owned by or connected to Philip Larkin will be on display in the permanent gallery. The result of a collaboration with the Philip Larkin Society.

The exhibition runs from 1st April to 13th May and is free to attend.

On 14th April East Riding Theatre will be the venue for ‘A Joyous Shot’, an evening of Larkin-inspired words and music, featuring, Vicky Foster, Chris Sewart and the Mechanicals Band. Tickets cost £14 and are available to book online.

On Thursday 20th April at 10.00 AM there will be a guided walk of Philip Larkin’s Beverley. This is a free event but places must be booked via the Beverley Art Gallery, telephone 01482 392780.

On Saturday 22nd April, at 1.45 pm, the Treasure House in Beverley will be hosting two talks by the Philip Larkin Society. Philip Pullen, a Larkin Society Trustee and Chair of Larkin100 will be talking about Larkin’s relationship to the East Riding and what it meant to him. Graham Chesters, Chair of the Larkin Society will be giving a talk about Larkin’s art collection and will show how the pictures he purchased, the pictures he was given, the pictures he liked, all build up to a portrait of the poet-artist himself and his artistic taste. Tickets for the event cost £5 and are available via this link