Akenfield - Ronald Blythe

Akenfield, Ronald Blythe's perceptive and vivid evocation of the Suffolk he has known since childhood, became an instant classic. It reverberates with the voices of the village inhabitants, from the reminiscences of survivors of the Great War to the concerns of a younger generation of farm workers, as well as the personal recollections of, among others, the local school teacher, doctor, blacksmith, saddler and district nurse. Providing insights into farming, education, class, religion and death, Akenfield is a compelling depiction of a way of life that has virtually disappeared. 

Reviews:

'A unique and affectionate picture of English village life' Observer

'The best portrait of modern rural life in England, subtle and compassionate' Roger Deakin, BBC Wildlife Magazine

'Exquisite' John Updike

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

ISBN: 9780141187921

Pages: 288

Weight: 214g

Dimensions: 195 x 129 x 17 mm

Open from 10th May 2025 - 25 April 2026 come see our Akenfield exhibition at the Museum, included with entry:

'50 years on from the release of the film, the Food Museum is pleased to tell the story of Akenfield – the groundbreaking book, the film and the people who made it all happen.

The exhibition will display original objects and photographs belonging to late author Ronald Blythe, director Sir Peter Hall and producer Rex Pyke.

Ronald Blythe’s Akenfield: Portrait of a Suffolk Village blends fact and fiction as it draws on interviews with 49 Suffolk residents to portray change in rural Suffolk from the 1880s to 1960s. Adapted in 1974 by Sir Peter Hall and Rex Pyke, the film was acted by ordinary people and was seen by a quarter of the population when it was first broadcast on TV'