THE SECRETARY of the Thomas Hardy Society says 2016 promises to be another exciting year for the organisation with delegates again set to flock to Dorchester to celebrate the town's favourite literary son.

This year will see the town welcome visitors for the 22nd international Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival with the society also enjoying a surge in membership thanks to the Far From the Madding Crowd film released last year.

Secretary Mike Nixon said the biennial Hardy Conference promises to be another great occasion when it is held from Saturday, July 23 to Saturday, July 30 and there was much more for the society to look forward to this year.

The organisation is ever expanding its reach outside Dorset and last weekend held a wreath-laying ceremony in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey to mark the 88th anniversary of Hardy's death.

It is also holding a weekend down in Cornwall from Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20 with walks, poetry readings based around St Juliot's Church, where Hardy worked as an architect and met wife Emma.

There is also a London meeting on Monday, April 4 with tea and a tour of the Athenaeum Club before events return to Dorset on Sunday, May 15 with a walk from Swanage to Corfe Castle and return by steam train.

There will be the traditional Thomas Hardy Birthday Weekend celebrations in the town on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 with this year's lecture from Tony Fincham and the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Hardy's Statue.

Then it's onto the Hardy Conference and Festival, which will feature a whole host of names and speakers including the society's president and Downton Abbey creator Lord Fellowes of West Stafford and award-winning poet, playwright, novelist, lyricist and broadcaster Simon Armitage.

Mr Nixon described the addition of Mr Armitage, who is tipped by some to be a future poet laureate, as a "real coup".

Other events planned for the year include a Hardy and William Barnes event at Sturminster Newton in September and a lecture on the two great Dorset writers given by Dr Alan Chedzoy in October.

Mr Nixon said the society was still benefitting from the popularity of last year's film adaptation of Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, which was largely shot in Dorset and has attracted new members from around the world.

He said: "Far From the Madding Crowd has made a very positive impact on us and our membership is up by probably 60 or 70 since the film, many of those are from abroad.

"So we are pleased with the health of the society."

The society is also working hard to engage with young people and has a number of initiatives planned to continue that work for the coming year.

For more information email info@hardysociety.org