City to unveil Philip Larkin statue at station

A festival to celebrate the life and work of Hull poet Philip Larkin has been announced, culminating in the unveiling of a statue in his honour.

A five-month programme of events is planned for next year, ending with the erection of the statue of Larkin at Hull's Paragon Station.

Larkin 25 will be a series of cultural events leading up to the unveiling on December 2, 2010 – the 25th anniversary of his death.

The celebrations will include a community art project, a 'Larkin trail' and exhibitions of Larkin memorabilia including cartoons and photography.

The events could include an exhibition of some of the 2,500 letters written by Larkin to his parents.

The correspondence, which is at points illustrated with doodles and self-portraits, is on permanent loan to the University of Hull by his niece Rosemary Parry.

Graham Chesters, chairman of the Philip Larkin Society and a former University of Hull professor of French, said: "The work of Philip Larkin has never been celebrated in a way that compares to this.

"Larkin chose to make his home in Hull and it is with great pride that we are planning a rich, diverse programme of events guaranteed to inspire and inform."

Mr Chesters added that he believed that culture was key to regeneration and that Larkin 25 could help Hull in its bid to become UK City of Culture 2013.

And Mr Chesters hopes the events will inspire creativity in the city.

He said: "There is so much talent in Hull and we want to give people an opportunity to express that."