Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education is organizing a weekend course on Nonsense literature, covering all aspects from the origins of the nursery rhymes to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, on 11-13 May and the programme looks very interesting. Of course a lecture is devoted to Edward Lear’s life and work. Places are still available and you can download Course Material and an Application Form.
From 30 April to 4 May, at 10.45 pm, BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting a series of essays celebrating Edward Lear’s bicentenary. The essayists include Sara Lodge, Matthew Bevis and Ralph Steadman, who has drawn a wonderful nonsense bird – the long-lashed, three-booted wheedle-nittle – for the occasion. See comments to this post.
From 7 May to 8 June at The Poetry Café at 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden WC2H 9BX, 45 illustrators are showing images they have made from Edward Lear’s poetry. For opening times see here or phone 0207-420 9880.
Sunday 13 May 14.30 – 16.00, Nonsense! The Wonderful World of Edward Lear, The Conference Centre, the British Library. The Jumblies, the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo, The Dong with the Luminous Nose and of course The Owl and The Pussycat, are just a few of the fabulous nonsense poems of the remarkable Edward Lear, who was born 200 years ago. Join wonderfully entertaining poets Michael Rosen and Roger McGough, plus special guests, for this glorious celebration of one of our best loved writers.
Tortoises, Terrapins, and Turtles Drawn from Life by James De Carle Sowerby and Edward Lear. London, Paris and Frankfort: Henry Sotheran, Joseph Baker & Co., 1872 is now available online at the Biodiversity Haritage Library website.
A Blog of Bosh 
Thank you for mentioning our exhibition at the Poetry Society in Covent Garden. We will have some great artwork on show, inspired by the work and life of Lear. We thought he deserved a ‘thank you’ for the inspiration he’s given illustrators over the years. The show includes work by John Vernon Lord, Peter Bailey, Glen Baxter and many others. Everyone we asked was very enthusiastic about Edward Lear and keen to contribute.