Yesterday afternoon Michael Rosen’s Word of Mouth programme on BBC 4 was devoted to Edward Lear and Nonsense literature in general:

Michael Rosen and guests celebrate nonsense at an event recorded at Radio 4’s More The Words festival in Bristol. Michael’s guests include the children’s writer Philip Ardagh, the actor Paul Nicholson, and nonsense experts Anna Barton and James Williams. With help from an audience of adults and children at Bristol Central Library, Michael will be filling a cauldron with nonsense poems, prose, limericks and tongue twisters, with a few nonsense sounds thrown in to bring out the flavour. And the programme will mark the 200th anniversary of Edward Lear’s birth with discussion of the writer’s life and work.

The programme will be broadcast again on Monday, 26 March, at 23:00, but you can listen to it right now.

William Holman Hunt’s portrait of Edward Lear, 1857.

More exhibitions of Edward Lear’s works have been announced:

• National Museums Liverpool hold a number of Edward Lear Watercolours. They are all extremely beautiful and they will be on display starting on the 28th of April at The Walker Art Gallery to celebrate his bicentenary. An extended web feature will also be available.
• “How Pleasant to Know Mr Lear” written and presented by Nicholas Parsons.
  Nicholas presents a portrait of the nonsensical genius, Edward Lear conveying a rounded picture of the man’s amazing life and unusual personality. A varied selection of his comic and serous verse is performed including The Owl & The Pussycat, The Jumblies, The Pobble, The Quangle Wangle, The Yonghy-Honghy-Bo, Uncle Arly and The Dong with the Luminous Nose.
  Knowsley Hall, Liverpool. Cost £75 includes canapés and champagne on arrival 3 course meal and half bottle of wine per person. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Call our events team on 0151 489 4827 to book your place today.
  Nicholas Parsons nominated Edward Lear for BBC Radio 4’s series, “Great Lives.” Here you can still listen to the programme.
• The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford are going to put on a display of their Edward Lear Collection to coincide with the date of the conference (21-22 September, Jesus College, Oxford). It will run from 20 September 2012 to 6 January 2013.