H.G.Wells and the War that would end War - Marking the Battle of the Somme

This informal lecture, reflecting upon Wells’s wartime writing and journalism, marks also the centenary of the Battle of the Somme (1st July).

The Battle of the Somme was fought at such terrible cost that it has come to symbolise the tragic futility of the First World War. Its first day of conflict remains the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army and it was felt deeply at home, in particular in those towns and villages which had raised Pals battalions and suffered horrible losses.

Its 100th anniversary provides an opportunity to commemorate the Service and sacrifice of those who lost their lives in the battle, to reflect upon the human cost of conflict and to have hope for a more peaceful world. 

Michael Sherborne was formerly Head of English and Humanities at Luton Sixth Form College. He has been Chair of the H.G. Wells Society and editor of The Wellsian, and has written and spoken extensively on Wells. His publications include the critical biography H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life (2010) and (under the name of Michael Draper) Modern Novelists: H.G. Wells.