This conference is taking place at Bournemouth University and online. The Call for Papers deadline is 18 April, 2022. For further information see Golden Age of Crime
The programme has now been announced. Please look here for further information.
Study Day on Short Crime Fiction – 14 October 2022, Université Catholique de Lille
We are looking for proposals for papers (about 25 minutes) on various aspects and authors of short stories in the crime fiction genre and would be particularly interested in a paper or two on Dorothy L Sayers and her short stories, or on her famous crime fiction anthologies. Please send your proposals (approx. 300 words) to Suzanne Bray (suzanne.bray@univ-catholille.fr) and Gérald Préher (gerald.preher@univartois.fr ) by 15 May 2022.
Christmas Gift Memberships & the Society's Exciting Plans for 2022
Gift Subscriptions to the Society
Christmas is coming. Why not give someone a gift subscription to the Dorothy L Sayers Society? As you’ll see from our events page, there is a range of activities, both online and in person. For a small sum:
members receive the Society Bulletin six times per year, outlining the Society’s activities, Sayers events and developments, book reviews and other information. If you would like a copy of our Bulletin, please look here
members and their guests attend events including the Annual Convention in August;
members have access to our private members’ page, including our annual journal, Sidelights on Sayers and other publications. For further information, please look here
you will be sent information about other literary societies and organisations through our membership of the Alliance of Literary Societies
you will receive early notification of Sayers and related events, talks and publications.
Subscription Rates to December 2022
Adult/family at same address
Online Bulletin worldwide £20 (£10 for under 25 years old)
Postal Bulletin UK £27
Postal Bulletin Europe £33
Postal Bulletin Rest of the World £36.50
Subscriptions run from January to December and are due by 5th January.
For further information, please look here
Our new President
At our AGM in October, the Society ratified the appointment of our new President, Professor BJ Rahn. Her distinguished career in teaching and research, her efforts on behalf of the Society as speaker and writer, are greatly valued by members. Our congratulations to Professor Rahn on her appointment.
Books on DLS and Crime Writing
Howdunit: a masterclass in crime writing by members of the Detection Club edited by Martin Edwards,
Subversive: Christ, Culture and the shocking Dorothy L Sayers by Crystal Downing;
In and out of Bloomsbury by Martin Ferguson Smith
Dorothy L Sayers: a biography by Colin Duriez.
The Casebook of Montague Egg has been translated into Japanese
Please note that these books are not published by the Society. Contact local or online booksellers.
Society Publications
The latest issue of our journal, Sidelights on Sayers containing articles on Sayers by members is now available. Please contact the Society for further information.
The Proceedings of our annual Convention at the University of East Anglia in 2019 are now available also.
Please look here for further information about all of our publications.
Society Events
Below is a selection of upcoming Society events. Please look here for a full listing.
December 10, 2021
A play reading of ‘The Kings in Judea’ from The Man Born to Be King. Online
January 14, 2022
A talk on Sayers and the Golden Age by Caroline Crampton of the ‘Shedunnit’ podcast. Online
February 25. 2022
A reading of Act III of Busman’s Honeymoon. Online
March 25, 2022
A selection of readings of works by Sayers. Online
In person events in the UK include:
March: The Annual John Donne Memorial Service and lunch, Lincoln’s Inn
June: The Annual Dorothy L Sayers Lecture, given by writer, Elly Griffiths
June: Attendance at the performance of Busman’s Honeymoon at The Mill in Sonning
August: The Annual Convention at the University of Bristol
November: The Society’s Annual General Meeting at St Anne’s Church, Soho, London.
Online Event: ‘Staging Salvation: Dorothy L Sayers as Playwright’ Wednesday 2 December, 2021
This talk, given by member Margaret Wiedemann Hunt, is open to all and can be booked through Eventbrite:
Book launch of biography of Cyril Lakin
Cyril Lakin, politician, broadcaster and editor was a correspondent of Dorothy L Sayers. A biography of him: Smooth Operator, the Life and Times of Cyril Lakin, Editor, Broadcaster and Politician, by Dr Geoff Andrews, is due to be released this month. More information can be found at:
https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/smooth-operator-the-life-and-times-of-cyril-lakin-editor-broadcaster-and-politician-hb
You can book free tickets to the book launch on 21 October:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smooth-operator-the-life-and-times-of-cyril-lakin-tickets-171224807007
Kavanagh Lecture: 'Sleuthing Dorothy L Sayers' 1942 Address on Anglican Worship
Bryan Spinks, Professor of Litrugical Studies and Pastoral Theology at Yale, will be delivering the Kavanagh Lecture on Dorothy L Sayers’ 1942 Address on Anglican Worship. The lecture will be live-streamed on 21 October, 7 pm UK time.
The link can be found here
Sunday Service live streamed from University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, 15 August
Members attending the Convention will also be attending the Sunday service at 10.30 am on Sunday, 15 August at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford. The service will be live streamed here
Annual Convention
Our Annual Convention for members and their guests has begun at Somerville College, Oxford, where Dorothy L Sayers studied as an undergraduate. It has been lovely to see people after so long apart.
We have had a talk from our Archivist, Alison Hall, on the music kept in the archives, particularly the music for the plays of DLS.
We’ve had readings on DLS and Oxford as well. More to come. Please follow us on Twitter @DLSSoc for updates.
