Mary Webb: Bust at Shrewsbury Library will honour writer

The grounds of Shrewsbury Library have been chosen to host a bronze bust of Mary Webb, the author and poet, who was born in Shropshire and used the county as the setting for much of her work.

The bust has been commissioned by the Mary Webb Society and will be unveiled by Mrs Webb's nephew Donald Meredith at 11am on July 9.

It has been created by Clun artist Jemma Pearson, and will feature the names of Mrs Webb's works on the back.

Sue Higginbotham, secretary of the Mary Webb Society, said the group is thrilled at being able to unveil a permanent tribute to the celebrated writer.

She said: "This will be a very long-standing tribute to Mary and obviously we hope that it will inspire people to read her works."

The bust will be placed on a plinth made of Grinshill stone, inscribed with Mrs Webb's name, date of birth and death, and the words "Shropshire poet and novelist".

The county is home to several items which mark Mrs Webb's connection with Shropshire but this will be the first major tribute located in the county town.

Mrs Higginbotham said: "There is nothing as big and as public as this and it really is our chance to show the Mary Webb Society is strong, ongoing, and trying to get Mary's name known to both local people and visitors to Shropshire."

This year also marks the centenary of Mrs Webb's first novel, The Golden Arrow, written while she lived in Pontesbury.

The bust has been paid for with a donation from a former member of the society, Muriel Furbank.

Mrs Higginbotham said: "We are over the moon that we have managed to get it done. The fact that we were left this legacy has enabled us to do it and we are very grateful that Muriel Furbank left us this money and we are hopeful some of her family will be present for the unveiling."

Mrs Furbank was a long-standing member of the society who also lived in Shropshire for a number of years.