Editing Arnold Bennett (section)

===Arnold Bennett Society===
[[File:Statue of Arnold Bennett outside the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Statue of neatly-dressed, seated man holding an open book and gesturing, as if discussing it with someone|Statue of Bennett outside the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent]]
The society was founded in 1954 "to promote the study and appreciation of the life, works and times not only of Arnold Bennett himself but also of other provincial writers, with particular relationship to North Staffordshire." In 2021 its president was Denis Eldin, Bennett's grandson; among the vice presidents was Margaret Drabble.<ref>[https://www.arnoldbennettsociety.org.uk/meet-the-team/ "Meet the Team"], Arnold Bennett Society. Retrieved 25 June 2021</ref>

In 2017 the society instituted an annual Arnold Bennett Prize as part of the author's 150th-anniversary celebrations, to be awarded to an author who was born, lives or works in North Staffordshire and has published a book in the relevant year or to the author of a book which features the region. In 2017 [[John Lancaster (writer)|John Lancaster]] won the award for his poetry collection ''Potters: A Division of Labour''. Subsequent winners have been Jan Edwards for her novel ''Winter Downs'' (2018), [[Charlotte Higgins]] for ''Red Thread: On Mazes and Labyrinths'' (2019) and Lisa Blower for her story collection ''It's Gone Dark Over Bill's Mother's'' (2020).<ref>[https://www.arnoldbennettsociety.org.uk/category/events/arnold-bennett-prize/ "Arnold Bennett Prize"], Arnold Bennett Society. Retrieved 25 June 2021</ref> The prize was not awarded in 2021 because of the Covid-19 situation, but in 2022 it was won by John Pye, a former detective inspector turned crime writer, for his novel ''Where the Silent Screams Are Loudest.''<ref>[https://www.arnoldbennettsociety.org.uk/2248/and-the-winner-is-john-pye/ "And the winner is: John Pye"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203020841/https://www.arnoldbennettsociety.org.uk/2248/and-the-winner-is-john-pye/ |date=3 December 2022 }}, Arnold Bennett Society. Retrieved 24 July 2022</ref> The prize in 2023 went to Philip Nanney Williams for his book ''Adams: Britain's Oldest Potting Dynasty''.<ref name=":0" />