Bright Stars – Celebrating the Anniversaries of the Romantics in Sussex – involves readings in Chichester on Saturday 20 January of poetry by John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron in his bicentenary year, plus new poetry inspired by the Romantics.

Keats died in 1821, Shelley in 1822 and Byron in 1824. Keats' visit to Chichester and Stansted Chapel inspired his poem ‘The Eve of St Agnes’, now commemorated by the statue in Eastgate, pictured. Shelley was born at Field Place, Horsham. Byron’s connection with the county involves a dangerous escapade at Littlehampton.

The readings will take place at 6pm at St John's Chapel, St John's Street, Chichester. Readers include Stephanie Norgate, James Simpson, Chris Hardy and Naomi Foyle. There will also be a short, contextual talk by Professor Fiona Price from Chichester University, and music from the period played on a 200-year-old guitar played by Linda Kelsall-Barnett. The event is free.