The Immortal Dinner Competition

On December 28th 1817 a famous literary gathering took place at the London home of artist Benjamin Robert Haydon. Among the illustrious guests attending this event, now known as the Immortal Dinner, were the poets John Keats and William Wordsworth and essayists Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt. Later letters and diaries describe the evening as one of ‘excitement and tension, conviviality and laughter’. The conversation ranged between literature, politics, science, and exploration, while the debate touched upon contemporary issues including Lord Elgin’s removal of the marble frieze from the Parthenon in Athens.

But do you think there is a guest missing whom John Keats would have enjoyed meeting?

This is your opportunity to vote for the additional dinner guest; this can be someone who is alive today or dead, they can be a personality from history or a fictional figure.

In December 2020 all the votes will be counted and the names of the three most popular personalities will be announced.

To nominate your dinner guest please email info@keats-shelley-house.org or leave your suggestion in the ballot box at the Keats-Shelley House in Rome.