The Arts Society, Isle of Wight, will be presenting the latest lecture of its new season on TUESDAY 7th NOVEMBER at 2.00pm, at Northwood House, Cowes

LADY ANNE BLUNT (1837 – 1917) Polymath of her Time

Peter Harrigan examines and reveals the extraordinary life of this remarkable woman: true polymath, adventurer, explorer of Arabia, saviour of the Arab Horse, accomplished author, artist schooled by John Ruskin, violinist, taught by Jansa [her Stradivarius sold for £9.8 million ten years ago], and translator of Persian and Arab odes. She was the granddaughter of Lord Byron and her mother was Ada Lovelace the mathematician who helped invent the proto-computer. She married Sir Wilfrid Blunt the serial philanderer, anti-colonialist and poet. Famed and still revered across the deserts of Arabia; Lady Anne, despite her achievements and legacy, remains relatively little known in the west outside the rarefied world of passionate breeders and enthusiasts of the Arab Horse.

Her daughter Lady Wentworth wrote: “To the end of her life she had the heart of a child, the brain of a scholar and the soul of a saint.”

Peter Harrigan is the founder of Medina Publishing and director and editor in chief of Arabian Publishing. He was the commissioning editor of the first and only published biography on Lady Anne Blunt and has published books on prominent figures in the Middle East. He is contributing editor of Aramco World Magazine and the honorary secretary of the Saudi British Society.

There are places for visitors at all lectures for £10 per person but booking must be made in advance to [email protected]

Find out more about the society and details of all the new season’s lectures at www.theartssocietyisleofwight.org.uk