The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Cathedral Institute
- Bishop Kenneth Room Portsmouth Cathedral (map)

Portsmouth Cathedral Institute hosts a series of talks on six books that got people talking. Join speakers at the Cathedral for a short presentation followed by an informal discussion.
Free
Lecture by Dr Sally Shaw
This talk explores Alice Walker's 1982 Pulizer Prize winning novel The Color Purple. Written in the epistolary form, The Color Purple tells the story of Celie, a young African American woman living in the American South in the early 1900s. Walker wrote the book to 'tell the stories of my ancestors' and it is this re-imagining of 'a silent generation' which makes the book both compelling and controversial. The Color Purple is sexually explicit, places emphasis on brutal male violence, provides a very early discussion of FGM and celebrates female queerness - all themes which placed the book on banned lists. Walker, however, saw the book primarily as 'a theological text' - as such, Celie's spiritual transformation draws on Walker's 'Womanist' perspective and Black Liberationalist theology, which are in themselves contested perspectives.
Delight in our weekly recitals live from the Cathedral, featuring members of the Cathedral Music Department, and special guest artists.
A quiet and reflective service of Holy Communion following the Book of Common Prayer. This simple, said service includes prayers, scripture readings, and the opportunity to receive communion. Rooted in centuries of Anglican tradition, it offers a moment of stillness and spiritual renewal at the start of the day.
Our principal Sunday service, the 11am Sung Eucharist, is a joyful and uplifting act of worship, led by the Portsmouth Cathedral Choir. The service includes prayers, scripture readings, a sermon, and Holy Communion, with the congregation invited to join in hymns and responses.
The Patronal Festival Evensong is a special service held to celebrate the Cathedral's dedication and the feast day of our patron saint, St. Thomas the Apostle. Led by the Portsmouth Cathedral Choir, this service of scripture, prayers, and choral music includes traditional hymns and responses, with the congregation invited to participate.
An Exhibition of work by members of Hampshire Calligraphers.
Explore the artworks that enrich the life of the Cathedral on this hour-long guided tour led by one of our knowledgeable Guides.
Join us this summer for a series of relaxed, family-friendly Saturdays in the beautiful surrounds of Portsmouth Cathedral. Taking place across four summer weekends, Summer on the Southside is a celebration of community, creativity and connection.
Set on a sleepy New England island in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the whimsical and heartfelt story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love and run away together, prompting a local search party to set out in pursuit.
Come and experience yoga in a beautiful and peaceful setting of Portsmouth Cathedral.
Join us this summer for a series of relaxed, family-friendly Saturdays in the beautiful surrounds of Portsmouth Cathedral. Taking place across four summer weekends, Summer on the Southside is a celebration of community, creativity and connection.
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