Forgotten Swindon wordsmith remembered in new local book
A prolific Swindon writer who has been compared to fellow local wordsmiths Alfred Williams and Richard Jefferies is the subject of a new book being launched at Central Library.
Published: Thursday, 12th December 2019
‘A Swindon Wordsmith – the Life, Times and Works of George Ewart Hobbs’ has been written by local historians Noel Ponting and Graham Carter.
George Ewart Hobbs was born in 1883 and died in 1946 and worked as a railway engineer ‘inside’ the GWR Swindon Works for more than half a century.
A prolific writer, most of his work was commissioned as columns in the Swindon Advertiser and covered a wide range of topics, providing a fascinating insight into everyday life in Swindon 100 years ago.
Local Studies Librarian, Darryl Moody, said: “This fascinating and carefully-researched publication will bring George’s fascinating writing to a far wider audience and highlight yet another overlooked part of Swindon’s cultural history.”
The book will be launched this Saturday (14 Dec) at 11am at The Library Shop in Central Library, Regent Circus.
Co-authors Noel Ponting and Graham Carter, who both previously wrote for the popular Swindon Heritage Magazine, will be on hand to sign copies of their book.
The book launch is free to all and copies will be available at The Library Shop priced at £14.95.
For further details call the library’s Local Studies team on 01793 463238 or email: localstudies@swindon.gov.uk