Virginia Woolf in Alfriston 2027 (Study 1) - To the Lighthouse, celebrating 100 years since publication

This will be our fifth year offering opportunities to read Virginia Woolf in East Sussex, a county which in many ways became the writer’s spiritual home. Basing ourselves in the village of Alfriston, we can consider her work surrounded by some of the countryside she loved best. In 2027 we will run two long weekend studies: the first (8-11 April) will focus on her 1927 masterpiece To the Lighthouse in its centenary year; while in the second (15-18 April) we will explore her 1928 novel Orlando.

As one of the key members of the celebrated Bloomsbury Group, Woolf is often seen as a London writer, but she and her husband Leonard had an abiding love for the South Downs. Together they purchased Monk’s House near Rodmell in 1919 and used it as their writers’ retreat. Virginia created some of her major works there and the Sussex landscape was integral to her writing as she tried to capture what she saw as its unsurpassable beauty.

There are a number of other Bloomsbury outposts in the area: in 1916 Virginia’s sister, Vanessa Bell, moved to Charleston Farmhouse with the painter Duncan Grant, while John Maynard Keynes and his wife Lydia Lopokova also settled locally.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century, Virginia Woolf described To the Lighthouse as ‘an elegy’. She considered it ‘easily the best of my books’ and acknowledged strong autobiographical elements, including the characters of Mr and Mrs Ramsay who were modelled closely on her own parents.

“This theme may be sentimental; father and mother and child in the garden; the death; the sail to the Lighthouse. I think, though, that when I begin it, I shall enrich it in all sorts of ways; thicken it; give it branches—roots which I do not perceive now.”

Virginia Woolf,  A Writer’s Diary, 14 May 1925

First published on 5 May 1927, this extraordinary work rewards reading and re-reading. Every encounter reveals new facets of Woolf’s world. Toby Brothers, founder of the London Literary Salon and co-facilitator of the study, admits that even after more than twenty close readings she still learns from the book, always finding new resonances and greater understanding to share with study participants.

Feedback from recent travel studies reading Virginia Woolf:

” . . . a truly wonderful experience. And a huge thank you for all you do to make such events so extraordinary.”

“Travel Studies are worth going the distance for. Set against the backdrop of a place related to the book you are reading, a travel study makes the words come alive over time and feel shot through with new meaning.”

“I feel like the LitSalon is the book group I’ve always needed and I’m willing to travel all the way from California to be part of it (and you can quote me on that).”

Toby will co-facilitate this study with literary scholar Karina Jakubowicz, creator and presenter of The Virginia Woolf Podcast.

JOINING DETAILS:

• To ask questions please email us at litsalon@gmail.com using ‘To the Lighthouse in Alfriston 2027’ as the subject line. To reserve a place please use the form below to pay an initial deposit of £50. Full payment will be payable using bank transfer by 31 January 2027.
• Four-day in-person study facilitated by Toby Brothers and Karina Jakubowicz
• Thursday 8 – Sunday 11 April 2027, Alfriston, East Sussex
• This is an opportunity to enjoy the locale, including visiting Charleston House, Charleston in Lewes and Monk’s House, as well as joining with other readers in discussing Woolf’s achievement in To the Lighthouse and its relationship to Woolf’s other works. We will also research outings in the area based on exhibits that will be available at the time of our visit, opportunities will be added to the schedule as we confirm the best options.
• As in previous years, we are in conversation with our fellow enthusiasts at Much Ado Books in Alfriston, who have created a great community that celebrates reading and the art of books in wonderful ways. Together we will offer an event celebrating Woolf and To the Lighthouse during our stay there.
• £550 for twelve hours (or more) of study in six meetings spread over four days, plus accommodation costs which must be booked and paid for direct (please see details below).
• Please note that participants are responsible for booking their own travel, accommodation and any insurance required (travel insurance is recommended if you are visiting the UK from overseas).
• We will stay at Wingrove House, a 19th century colonial-style country house hotel set in the beautiful and historic village of Alfriston, East Sussex in the South Downs National Park. We will be within easy reach of sites associated with Bloomsbury, making it the ideal choice for Woolf-related Salons. We expect the cost per night, including breakfast, to start at £192.00 per room, rising to a maximum of £262.50 (charges vary across a range of accommodation). These rates are discounted for London Literary Salon participants but the hotel is very popular and the accommodation is not reserved in advance, so please book your room as soon as possible after registering for the study and mention the London Literary Salon when booking.
• Recommended edition: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, Penguin Classics ISBN: 9780241371954