charlotte hobson

Arts, Literature, Community & Voluntary Action  

Suggested by Dina Wheatcroft    

Dina writes,
“Charlotte Hobson is an author, journalist and translator. In 2023 she relaunched the Winston Graham Historical Prize, a nationwide literary prize that aims to benefit the Cornish literary and wider community. Reading groups across Cornwall select the shortlist, which make the prize as inclusive as possible and combats isolation along the way. 
The Award ceremony, held in the Royal Cornwall Museum, brings together all of Cornwall’s literary community for an evening with the shortlisted authors and judges. Cornwall’s remoteness from the centre is a struggle for freelance creatives; the WG Prize is a powerful initiative to direct the focus of the literary world on Cornwall.  

Charlotte is inspirational. She has charisma and intelligence and a natural gift for story-telling enchants public and private audiences. Not only has she been diligent in her creativity, but also in expanding Cornwall’s reputation on the national stage.
When not promoting literature and intelligent discussion, she has been found translating on the Russian border at the start of the Ukraine war, or gleaning vegetables from the fields that would otherwise go to waste. She also organised a party for all the Ukrainian refugees in Cornwall to celebrate their food and culture. Happiness manifest!  

Charlotte has lived full time in Cornwall since 2000 and has a family connection to the county that goes back to Tregonning ancestors from Halle and her grandfather, Algernon Newton who was a painter in the Lamorna group before WW1. Her great uncle was the actor; Robert Newton, well known for his role as Long John Silver, and her grandmother was married to Beakus Penrose whose brother, Roland Penrose, brought his wife Lee Miller and other Surrealist friends to stay at their house Lambe Creek in 1938.” 

 Royal Cornwall Museum Winston Graham Historical Prize