ways with wordsfestival of words and ideas
Dartington Hall, Devon11 - 20 July 2008
in association with
at Ways With Words
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What is it all about?
• beautiful medieval buildings set in glorious gardens.
• 10 days, over 100 events with novelists, politicians,
historians, scientists, poets . . . the famous and the
yet-to-be-discovered.
• a friendly audience of lively-minded people
interested in ideas, debate, books and reading.
. . . Combine them all and the result is compelling.
Buy a ticket for just one event, stay on-site for the
whole ten days and go to events from dawn to dusk -
or anything in between.
How does it work?
Buying tickets• You can buy individual tickets, day tickets or Rover
tickets (which give you entry to events over a
period of time). See the centre pages for details.
Accommodation at Dartington• We offer a variety of packages which include
accommodation and ticket combinations, from on-
site B&B in student rooms to comfortable, ensuite
bedrooms. Phone 01803 867373 and we’ll talk you
through the options.
Dartington is one of the highlights - and fixed points
- of my summer. I cannot imagine letting July pass
without spending time - speaking or listening - at
what is a unique, literary occasion. Unusually in my
Dartington experience, it rained during my two-
day visit last year. But it did not dampen my spirits.
Nothing could.
There is a special joy about Dartington that only
partly results from the distinction of the speakers
who gather there. Dartington is a community in
which there is no barrier between audiences and
authors; they all come together in an idyllic setting.
The programme is as good or better than any other
festival in Britain. Dartington is special because it has
literature - and a lot more.
Roy HattersleyWays With Words’ President
... from the festival PresidentWelcome to Ways With Words... from the directors
If someone asked you what you thought was essential
for a civilised life what would you say? Reading
(books, newspapers, journals); education (without
exams); lively company and laughter; having your
imagination released and your thinking stretched?
Conversation, friends, films, gardens, trees,
herbaceous borders, paintings, sculptures, smoothies,
red wine, coffee, walks, travel, bookshops, crafts
may also be on your list. It sounds like Ways With
Words at Dartington, doesn’t it?
Make a list and then look at what is on offer during
these magical days of the festival.
They might coincide.
Kay Dunbar & Stephen Bristow
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Friday 11 July - Great Hall
Martin BellThe Truth That Sticks
In his latest book, ‘The Truth That
Sticks,’ Martin Bell, one of the most
respected war correspondents
and one-time Independent MP,
asks why, after 11 years in power,
Labour has proved a bitter
disappointment. What has gone
wrong? He keeps the questions
coming.
James and Ben Long talk to Penelope LivelyThe Plot Against Pepys
It is 1679 and England is awash with
suspicion. Fear of conspiracy and
religious terrorism has provoked
panic in politicians and a zealous
reaction from the legal system.
Samuel Pepys, Secretary of the
Admiralty, finds himself charged
with treason and facing execution.
Father and son, James and Ben
Long, brilliantly evoke a turbulent
period in England’s history. They
tell the forgotten story of the two
most dangerous years in the life of
the legendary diarist.
#1
2.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James Long
#2
4pm
Great Hall
£8
Keir DavidsonRocks + Sand = Zen
Many enjoy the sense of
tranquillity and space in
Japanese gardens, but may
know little about their origins
and inspiration. Keir Davidson,
writer and landscape gardener,
offers an enlightening talk
about the influence of Zen on
these gardens and their role in
Zen practice.
#3
4pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Michael
Elsmere
Friday 11 July -Barn Theatre
James and Ben Long
Martin Bell
Friday 11 July - Great Hall
Kate MosseA French Mystery
Kate Mosse’s novel, ‘Labyrinth’,
stunned the literary world and
sold millions of copies. Now
she introduces her new book,
‘Sepulchre’, about a biographer
who arrives in France on a
research trip and uncovers more
than she bargained for. Kate Mosse
talks about what draws her back
repeatedly to the themes of love,
loss, the supernatural and 19th
century France.
#4
5.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith,
Literary
Editor,
The Daily
Telegraph
Kate Mosse
Brian PattenGrowing Up Before Your Very Eyes
From first to second childhood and
back again, with a little chaos and
much humour on the way. Reading
from a huge variety of his work,
Liverpool poet Brian Patten takes
the sometimes dark, sometimes
heart-rending, often hilarious and
always fascinating journey through
a chaotic boyhood, a love-struck
adolescence and a disrespectful
middle-age, to leave us teetering on
the brink of yet another childhood.
Older children as well as grown-ups
will enjoy the range of poems.
#5
8pm
Great Hall
£8
Brian Patten
9.15-11pm
Free
White Hart
bar patio
Trade Winds Simon Williams et al
Trade Winds, an established
Open Mic event, encourages
people to perform; to sing songs,
read poems, tell stories and make
music. Several of the event’s
regulars will be on hand to get
things going, but it’s mainly for
you to take part. Book a slot
with Simon on the night and give
five minutes of your best.
Saturday 12 July - Great Hall
Penelope LivelyReading, Writing And Letters Home
After forty years in books,
Penelope Lively considers the
unexpected aspects of a writing life,
– learning, living and leaving home,
with surprises along the way.
Christina Lambin conversation withMartin BellDispatches From Foreign Lands
Christina Lamb has spent 20
years reporting from around the
world, and is now one of Britain’s
most highly-regarded journalists.
Her latest book, ‘Small Wars
Permitting’, is a collection of her
finest reports from Afghanistan
to Zimbabwe. She explores
with Martin Bell the human
consequences of conflict and how
she deals with a life spent in the
midst of the world’s troubles.
David OwenIllness In Heads Of State
Lord Owen, founder and former
leader of the SDP and Labour
Foreign Secretary under James
Callaghan, trained as a doctor.
Today he examines how mental
and physical ill health affects the
decision-making of political leaders.
Oona KingA Decade Is A Long Time In Politics
In 1997 Oona King entered
Parliament as one of Blair’s Babes
and the first black woman in
government. Her candid diaries
reveal how she abandoned political
ambition to get a life. She talks
about her time in and out of
Westminster.
Tariq Ali1968 – 2008: Echoes And Whispers
‘Given the way that politics has
gone to the dogs in so many parts
of the democratic world, it’s hardly
surprising that celebrity status and
wealth have taken centre stage.’
So wrote Tariq Ali recently. Today
he offers his radical and challenging
views of the last 40 years of
national and international politics.
#6
10am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Lorna
Duffin
#7
11.30am
Great Hall
£8
#8
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
sponsored by
#9
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam
Leith
#10
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James
Long
Oon
a K
ing
Saturday 12 July - Great Hall
Robin InceMake Room For Robin Ince
“snortingly funny” The Daily Telegraph
“when someone writes a history of
modern comedy, they should make
room for Robin Ince” The Guardian
“a smart, snarly and inventive one-
man show” The Sunday Times
Robin Ince makes his Ways With
Words debut with an evening
of stand-up comedy, bad books
and a selection of ideas, theories
and tangents. As heard on ‘The
Personality Test’, ‘Banter’, ‘The
Now Show’, ‘Crimes Against Music’
(Radio 4), seen on ‘Never Mind
The Buzzcocks’ and ‘Mock The
Week’, and known to millions from
Ricky Gervais’s best-selling ‘Politics
and Fame’ DVDs.
(2hrs inc. interval)
#11
8pm
Great Hall
£16
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #6 - #10 : £30
Ways With Words / Devon Wildlife Trust Poetry and Essay Competition
THEME
Landscape as Muse
JUDGESPoetry : Andy Brown, director of the University of Exeter’s Centre for Creative Writing and Arts and author of ‘Goose Music’ (with John Burnside).Essay: Stephen Hussey, Editor of ‘Wild Devon’
PRIZES Ist Prize: In both categories the winners will receive a literary gift box to include £200 worth of books and £50 worth of tokens to Ways With Words festivals. (They can be spent at any Ways With Words event). In addition, they will receive a Gardening for Wildlife Kit.
Runners-up: There will be 2 runners-up in each category. Each will receive £100 worth of books and a Gardening for Wildlife Kit.
Also the 1st prize winners in both categories will be published in a future edition of the magazine, ‘Wild Devon’. Both winners and runners-up will be invited to read their pieces at a special prize-giving event at the Ways With Words festival at Dartington Hall on Wednesday 13 July at 2pm.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY:• Entries are invited for original poems of no more than 40 lines or essays of no more than 1000 words.• Entry fee is £4 per poem or essay.• Entrants may submit as many poems and/or essays as they wish.• Entries should be in English and typed or very clearly written on one side of paper. Two copies of each entry should be submitted.• No entry should have been accepted for publication, read on radio/television or stage or have been awarded a prize in any other competition. • Entrants must not put names or addresses on the work but must put name, address and titles on a separate sheet.
Cheques payable to ‘Ways With Words’ and sent with entries to:Ways With Words/ Devon Wildlife Trust Competition, Droridge Farm, Dartington, Devon TQ9 6JG
Closing Date - Friday 20 June 2008Winners will be notifi ed by Friday 4 July 2008Entrants should enclose an s.a.e. for notifi cation of results.Entries cannot be returned.
Robin Ince
Saturday 12 July - Barn Theatre - Lives Less Ordinary
Henry HemmingEnglish Eccentrics
What does it mean to be an
eccentric in England today? Writer
Henry Hemming describes the
eccentrics he encounters on his
travels through England.
Anne SebbaJennie Churchill: Winston’s American Mother
In 1874 the creative and
passionate Jennie Jerome became
Lady Randolph Churchill. She
was a woman who refused to
be cowed sexually or socially; a
person who lived life to the full;
a strong mother to Winston
and a behind-the-scenes political
dynamo. Anne Sebba draws a
vivid and frank portrait of this
remarkable woman.
Maureen FreelyMuslim Grandmother
In their small Turkish town of
Fethiye, Çetin’s grandmother
seemed to be a well-respected
Muslim housewife but in fact was
an Armenian Christian by birth. As
a child the men in her village had
been slaughtered and she had been
torn from her mother’s arms and
adopted by the Turkish captain.
Maureen Freely has translated
Çetin’s book - a human story of
political genocide.
Judith MackrellLydia – Bloomsbury Ballerina
Lydia Lopokova, through a
combination of luck, determination
and talent, became a star in Paris,
a vaudeville favourite in America
and the toast of Britain. Then, most
unexpectedly, she married the
world-renowned economist and
homosexual, John Maynard Keynes,
and became part of the Bloomsbury
set. Judith Mackrell, writer and
dance critic for The Guardian, tells
her extraordinary story.
Frances OsborneThe Bolter
Biographer Frances Osborne tells
the scandalous story of her great
grandmother, Idina Sackville, the
inspiration for Nancy Mitford’s
character The Bolter in ‘The
Pursuit Of Love’. She describes the
heartbreak of her two children left
behind when Idina bolted.
Mavis Cheek & Alison WeirTudor Women
Historian Alison Weir introduces
her second novel, ‘The Lady
Elizabeth’, set before Elizabeth 1
became queen.
In her novel, ‘Amenable Women’,
Mavis Cheek rescues the
reputation of one of Henry VllI’s
wives, Anne of Cleeves, from what
she calls ‘Henry’s PR machine’.
#12
9.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Tony
Clayden
#13
10.45am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Celia
Atherton
#14
12 noon
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Pippa
Warrin
#15
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Celia
Atherton
#16
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Zoe Clough
#17
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #12 - #17 : £36
Sunday 13 July - Great Hall
Jon SnowSnow’s Eye View
Whether giving his views on the
Iraq war, about Prince Harry in
Afghanistan, or why he doesn’t
wear a poppy on air, Jon Snow, the
main presenter of Channel 4 News,
is always thought-provoking.
Diana Athill in conversation with Penelope LivelySomewhere Towards The End
Diana Athill worked for more than
50 years in publishing with some
of the most important writers of
the 20th century. She will talk to
Penelope Lively about her life in
literature and how it feels now to
be over 90: how much there is to
remember, to forget, to regret, to
forgive - and how one faces the
inevitable fact of death.
Philippe Sandsand Jon SnowTorture And The Law
Philippe Sands, an authority on
international law, and Jon Snow,
prominent Channel 4 News
journalist, will discuss Sands’
deeply disturbing discourse on the
one-page memorandum signed by
Donald Rumsfeld authorising 18
techniques of interrogation not
previously allowed by the United
States.
#18
9.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James Long
#19
10.45am
Great Hall
£8
#20
12.15pm
Great Hall
£8
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #18 - #23 : £36 Jo
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Dia
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Jon Snow
Phili
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Sunday 13 July - Great Hall
Gervase PhinnSpilling The Beans
Bestselling author Gervase Phinn
reminisces about his life as a
schools inspector and offers his
favourite children’s sayings and
stories. ‘My baby brother is having
an operation on his willy - he’s
having it circus-sized.’
Jonathan DimblebyThe Heart Of Russia
Winston Churchill famously
described Russia as ‘a riddle
wrapped in a mystery inside an
enigma’. Today it remains a country
little understood by the West,
yet it is a resurgent world-power
with an energy-rich economy. In
this timely and revealing portrait,
Jonathan Dimbleby unravels the
Gordian knot of modern Russia.
Jonathan FenbyThe Dragon Throne
With China rising as a major power
in the world today Jonathan Fenby,
former editor of the Observer,
tells the turbulent and multi-
faceted story of a unique empire
stretching over more than two
millennia. He sheds light on key
themes in Chinese history - from
Buddhism to the Boxer rising, from
Confucianism to concubines.
Guy WatsonFrom Farm To Box To Table The Riverford Way
Guy Watson began farming on
three acres at Riverford, his
parents’ farm, in 1985. Since then
it has become one of the largest
independent organic farms, famous
for its home-delivery organic
vegetable boxes. He talks with Tom
Jaine, food journalist and publisher
of Prospect Books, about the
remarkable Riverford enterprise.
Paul KingsnorthReal England
Paul Kingsnorth alerts us to what
he sees as an alarming erosion of
our English identity, from the loss
of our post offices to the decline
of small farms, country pubs and
cornershops. The New Statesman
named him one of Britain’s ‘top ten
trouble makers’, which is why we
welcome him today.
#21
2.15pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Fox
#22
3.45pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James Long
#23
5.15pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
#24
7.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Tom Jaine
#25
9pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
Sunday 13 July - Barn Theatre - Real Food
Andy and Dave HamiltonThe Green Men
Bristol-based twins Andy and
Dave Hamilton practise what they
preach. They embody how to live
environmentally friendly lives and
have written a book about their
experiences, ‘The Self Sufficient-ish
Bible’. They will give tips, from the
frivolous to the more serious.
Craig Sams and Jo FairleyChocolate Heaven
Wholefood pioneer Craig Sams
and his wife, journalist Jo Fairley,
recount the story of how Green &
Black chocolate went from being
an idea sketched out on a pad one
rainy night in London, to being
one of the best known brands
of chocolate both for its taste
(delicious) and for its Fairtrade and
organic production.
Tamasin Day-LewisDining Out
Tamasin Day-Lewis and her partner
Rob scour restaurants of the
world looking for wonderful food,
from mozzarella in Puglia to roast
chicken in the Pyrenees. Tamasin
recounts their adventures and
looks back on her childhood to
discover where her love of food
first emerged.
Graham HarveyWe Want Real Food
Graham Harvey writes for many
national publications, is Agricultural
Advisor for ‘The Archers’ and
has links with SEER (Sustainable
Ecological Earth Regeneration). He
examines the connection between
industrial farming and poor health
and social disorders in Britain and
advises where to go to buy food
that is still nutrient rich.
Rose PrinceEnglish Food
Chestnut and honey soup, whipped
potatoes with Lancashire cheese
and saffron buns are just a few of
the 200 delectable recipes that
food writer Rose Prince has put
together in her new collection. She
explores how to create food that is
affordable, easy and delicious, but
also good for the environment.
Sue Clifford and James CrowdenAn English Orchard
Poet and rural historian James
Crowden has written two books
on cider: ‘Cider - the Forgotten
Miracle’ and ‘Ciderland’. He reflects
on the recent renaissance of cider
and perry making in the West
Country. Sue Clifford, co-founder
of Common Ground, Apple Day
and co-writer of ‘The Apple Source
Book’ debates the origin and
merits of this most English of fruits.
Try some Ashridge cider after the event.
#26
9.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
John Marshall
#27
10.45am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Liz Clayden
#28
12 noon
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Liz Clayden
#29
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Michael
Bennie
#30
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
#31
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Tom Jaine
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #26 - #31 : £36
Monday 14 July - Barn Theatre - Look Again
David ThurstonAlong The Way – An Illustrated Talk
David Thurston’s travels round
the world with his trusty camera,
artist’s eye, and technical know-
how have resulted in some
stunning photographs. He will pass
on some of his secrets.
An exhibition of his work will be
running throughout the festival
at the Cider Press Centre.
Michael BirdThe St Ives Artists: A Biography Of Place And Time – An Illustrated Talk
After World War 11 many
progressive artists settled in a
small fishing port in Cornwall.
Michael Bird’s history of the St
Ives movement connects the art,
landscape and community with the
wider cultural narrative of 20th
century Britain.
#32
11.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
David Lewis
#33
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Andy
Christian
Sheila PaineDazzling Patterns, Shimmering Colours – An Illustrated Talk
In many cultures, ancient beliefs
and superstitions are embedded
in the patterns and motifs
embroidered on the clothes of the
people. Sheila Paine, world expert
on textiles and tribal societies, will
examine and explain the hidden
symbolism.
Gavin Menzies1434: The Spark That Ignited The Renaissance
In his previous book, Gavin
Menzies argued that it was the
Chinese who discovered America,
not Columbus. Now, in ‘1434’,
he presents further astonishing
evidence that it was also Chinese
advances in science, art, and
technology that formed the basis of
the European Renaissance and our
modern world.
#34
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Maureen
Lewis
#35
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Richard Fox
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #32 - #35 : £24
Tamasin Day-Lewis Rose Prince Michael Bird
Monday 14 July - Great Hall
Ian MortimerHenry IV – From Hero To Murderer
‘Uneasy lies the head that wears
the crown’ – this quote sums up
the problems Henry IV suffered
after he usurped the throne from
Richard II. Dartington Hall was built
by Henry IV’s brother-in-law, John
Holand, who was later executed
for trying to kill Henry, so the Hall
itself plays a part in the story.
Ian Mortimer will explain.
James LongThe Rebirth Of Ferney
This cult classic, the story of a love
affair that spans the centuries, has
been re-released to much acclaim.
James Long will talk to his son, Ben,
about the strange experience of
revisiting ‘Ferney’ after ten years.
Simon MontefioreStalin’s Hidden Legacy
Simon Sebag Montefiore, author
of ‘Young Stalin’, will talk about
his latest novel which describes
the terrible price paid by ordinary
people in Stalin’s Russia, whose
stories have lain forgotten in the
archives for decades.
Julian BagginiMoan, Moan, Moan!
Starting off with God’s protests
to Adam and Eve and working
through the French and American
revolutions to the war on Iraq,
Julian Baggini examines what we
complain about, why we do so,
and whether we should complain
differently. You can’t complain
about that!
#36
10am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
#37
11.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Ben Long
#38
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Fox
#39
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James Long
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #36 - #40 : £30
Ian Mortimer
Poppy Adams
Simon Montefiore
Rebecca Abrams
Monday 14 July - Great Hall
Poppy Adams and Rebecca AbramsChain Reactions
Poppy Adams’ ‘The Behaviour of
Moths’ is a story of a crumbling
mansion, a reclusive moth expert
and long-forgotten memories.
Rebecca Abrams’ book, ‘Touching
Distance’, is based on a young 18th
century doctor’s search for a cure
for puerperal fever. They discuss
the place science and research play
in their remarkable novels.
Matt Harvey and FriendsWondermentalist Cabaret
Matt Harvey plays host to
a comedy-rich basket of
wondermental things.
(2 hours including interval)
#40
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Kay Dunbar
#41
8pm
Great Hall
£8
Fresco Chairs
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Matt Harvey - Wondermental!
Tuesday 15 July - Great Hall
Raymond TallisHead Space
Professor Raymond Tallis focuses
on the head and what it can do.
He takes it apart, piece by piece,
in search of the place where our
souls, and consciousness, reside.
He will explore such mysteries as
the act of blushing, the difference
between tears provoked by pain or
grief and the curiousness of a kiss.
He demonstrates that our heads
are infinitely cleverer than we are.
Henry Hitchings The Secret Life Of Words
Common words often have
unexpected origins. Did you know
‘shampoo’ originates from Hindi, or
that Alcatraz prison is named after
a pelican? Henry Hitchings explores
the story of the English language
and uncovers the secrets behind
everyday words.
John Julius NorwichTrying To Please
The title of John Julius Norwich’s
memoirs comes from his nurse’s
prophetic words at his birth, ‘He’s
only trying to please’. Whether
as a member of the foreign office,
as an author, actor or television
presenter, John Julius Norwich’s
enthusiasm for people and places
has pleased many people.
This talk about his life is bound to
do the same.
Laura ThompsonThe Mysterious Life Of Agatha Christie
Contemplating the motives for
murder has led to a highly popular
literary genre. Agatha Christie’s
ingenious plotting and psychological
insights have made her a leading
exponent. Laura Thompson salutes
her talent, and gives an illuminating
account of Agatha Christie’s life,
which sometimes contained as
much mystery as her books.
Frances WilsonDorothy Wordsworth: Pies, Poems And Passion
Wordsworth’s beloved sister,
Dorothy, was his inspiration, aide
and most valued reader. In her
journals she kept a record of their
idyllic domestic life, interrupted by
her dramatic collapse on William’s
wedding day. Frances Wilson
uncovers the rich emotional life of
her complex subject.
#42
9.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
John Marshall
#43
10.45am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
#44
12 noon
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Rachael
Kiddey
#45
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton,
Arts Editor,
The Daily
Telegraph
#46
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton
Raymond Tallis
Tuesday 15 July - Great Hall
Justine Picardieand Lynne HatwellLooking For Daphne
In her novel, ‘Daphne’, Justine
Picardie takes as her inspiration
a trove of letters that were
lying hidden in the archives of
the Brontë parsonage. Weaving
together fact and fiction she
explores the life of Daphne du
Maurier, describing her failing
marriage and her increasing
obsession with the renegade
Brontë brother Bramwell.
She talks to Lynne Hatwell, the
bookaholic, who has started a
worldwide conversation about
books on her website.
http://dovegreyreader.typepad.com
Tim MacartneyFinding Earth, Finding Soul
In three years Tim Macartney went
from working as a gardener for
a management training centre, to
being their Head of Consultancy.
His inspirational approach to
leadership-development resulted
in the gift of a 50-acre smallholding
from an appreciative client. He
describes his search for meaning
and purpose.
Barron BradyFolksongs - England Needs Her Hedgerows
Barron Brady are on tour
throughout the UK this year
promoting their new album which
is imbued with a sense of the
landscape and wildlife of England
and informed by rural narratives.
Simon and Rosalind are acclaimed
for performing beautifully crafted
songs with virtuosity and verve;
exemplary guitar work, voices and
harmonies combine deliciously with
flutes and ambient harmonium.
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #42 - #47 : £36
#47
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Rachael
Kiddey
#48
7.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Michael
Elsmere
#49
9pm
Great Hall
£8
John Julius Norwich
Fran
ces
Wils
on
Justine Picardie
Laura Thom
pson
Barron Brady
Tuesday 15 July - Barn Theatre - The Art Of Living
Ziyad MararDeception‘We flatter ourselves and each other,
exaggerate, bluff, falsify, dissemble,
hoodwink .... with such skill and speed
that we barely even notice,’ says
Ziyad Marar in his book ‘Deception’.
He discusses how deception has
become widely embedded in our
culture and asks the question:
If we wanted to, could we live a truly
honest life?
Mark VernonWellbeingType ‘how to be happy’ into Google
and you get in excess of 30,000,000
hits. Everyone wants to know the
secret of living a happy and fulfilled
life. Writer, philosopher and
theologist, Mark Vernon, explores
the changing nature of the search for
happiness in his book ‘Wellbeing’.
He looks at religion, spirituality, our
relationship with the transcendent
and our need to find within ourselves
a sense of meaning or deeper
purpose.
Havi CarelIllnessIn 2006 philosophy lecturer Havi
Carel was diagnosed with
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a chronic,
life-threatening illness. She describes
how her life changed that day and
how, while writing her book, ‘Illness’,
she went on a thought-provoking
journey, examining her life with ill-
health. She offers practical suggestions
on living with illness and brings a fresh
perspective to a daunting situation.
John HarveyClothesAs followers of fashion are we
innovators of the future or one
of the herd? By wearing mass-
produced clothes do we become
mass-produced people? These are
just some of the questions novelist,
journalist and lecturer John Harvey
asks in his book, ‘Clothes’. Join the
discussion. Black tie not required.
Raymond TallisHungerHunger for food, appetite for sex,
need for love, desire for objects -
understanding hunger is the key to
understanding ourselves. Our hungers
are deeply mysterious. Raymond Tallis
takes us through the different levels of
our appetites and demonstrates that
the art of living is the art of managing
our hungers.
#50
10am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Mark Vernon
#51
11.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
David Nixon
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #50 - #54 : £30
#52
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Raymond
Tallis
#53
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Kay Dunbar
#54
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Mark Vernon
Ziy
ad M
arar
Wednesday 16 July - Barn Theatre - Women’s Lives
Christina HardymentBaby Blues
Christina Hardyment, author of
the book, ‘Dream Babies’, takes
us through a fascinating history of
parenting from the 18th century to
today. She reveals the conflicting
advice offered to parents over
many generations, by experts
ranging from Rousseau to Penelope
Leach, and analyses the parenting
anxieties of our own age.
Lesley DownerThe Last Concubine
Lesley Downer lived in Japan for
15 years and has written many
books about its rapidly evolving
culture. ‘The Last Concubine’, her
latest novel, explores the life of a
girl chosen to be the concubine of
a young shogun. She looks at the
changing role of women in Japan.
Ruth BrandonLife Of A Governess
If a lady had neither a husband to
support her nor money of her
own, often her only recourse was
to become a governess. Despised,
ill-paid, insecure and isolated, such
a life was terminally lonely. Now
these intelligent young women
go to college and have a career.
Historian Ruth Brandon explores
the plight of the governess within
the wider context of Victorian
values.
Celia RobertsonDown And Out Grandmother
By the 1970s, Celia Robertson’s
grandmother, Sophie, was
destitute and mad. She washed
her hair in margarine and cut up
Christmas presents in case they
had a listening device in the lining.
In another life she had written
for the BBC; her poetry was
published by Leonard and Virginia
Woolf; she was reviewed in the
national newspapers and invited to
tea by Vita Sackville-West. Celia
Robertson asks: Who was Sophie?
Virginia IronsideNo I Don’t Want To Join A Book Club
Journalist, Agony Aunt and
novelist Virginia Ironside talks
about growing old gracefully or
disgracefully. (Why do the over-
60s go paragliding or cycle across
Mongolia?) This promises to be an
insightful and hilarious hour.
#55
10am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Lorna Duffin
#56
11.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Lorna Duffin
#57
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Clive
Fairweather
#58
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Angela
Brassley
#59
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Linnie Price
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #55 - #59 : £30
Virginia Ironside
Wednesday 16 July - Great Hall
Jonathon PorrittSustaining Sustainability
Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder and
Programme Director of Forum
for the Future, eminent writer,
broadcaster and commentator on
sustainable development, will give
his latest thoughts on the struggle
to keep environmental issues at the
top of the political agenda.
Satish KumarSpiritual Compass
Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence
and Director of Programmes at
Schumacher College, examines
spirituality as it relates to everyday
life. He looks at the Indian
Ayurvedic tradition, whose aim is
to live a life which is simple and
close to nature, and explains how
this can help us rediscover the
art of living and lead us towards a
peaceful and contented existence.
This morning’s events are
in association with Resurgence
Matthew FortMeals On Wheels
Matthew Fort, food writer for The
Guardian and The Observer and
judge on BBC2’s ‘Great British
Menu’, will make your mouth
water with tales of his culinary trip
around Sicily on Monica, his trusty
moped. Whether it’s sampling
antipasti in rundown villages or
delicate pastries in towns that cling
to hillsides, he describes the tastes
and smells of this wonderful island,
while not ignoring its darker past.
#60
10am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Satish Kumar
#61
11.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
John Marshall
#62
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Tom Jaine
Satish Kumar Jonathon Porritt
Matthew FortJay Rayner
Wednesday 16 July - Great Hall
Katharine WhitehornBeyond Baking And BreedingKatharine Whitehorn was ahead
of her time when she wrote in
her autobiography, ‘Selective
Memory’, ‘What no book of
household management can ever
tell you is how to begin. Or maybe
I mean why ...’. She ran away from
Roedean, studied at Cambridge,
moved on to Finland, America and
finally became the doyenne of Fleet
Street where she found her natural
home.
Jay RaynerEating Round The World
Jay Rayner has been on the hunt
for the most delicious, most
mouth-watering, most scrumptious
eating experience (otherwise
known as a meal) in the world. He
tells us where he went to find it. If
you weren’t hungry before the talk,
you will be afterwards.
Sandi ToksvigAvailable
Sandi Toksvig presents her new,
specially-written, one woman
show and introduces audiences
to the many worlds of her work
- some known, some less familiar.
‘Available’ gives Sandi the chance
to share some of her worldwide
adventures and bring her closer
to her audience than ever before,
through conversation, comedy,
questions and answers and the
odd wry observation on life, love,
families, fashion, politics, people,
...who knows what else?
(2 hours including interval)
#63
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton
#64
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Tom Jaine
#65
7.30pm
Great Hall
£16
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #60 - #64 : £30
Katharine Whitehorn
Thursday 17 July - Great Hall
Jenni MurrayMemoirs Of A Not So Dutiful Daughter
Jenni Murray, presenter of
Woman’s Hour since 1987, talks
openly about her early family life,
in particular the conflict with her
mother which has left her with
feelings of guilt at not being a
dutiful daughter. She describes
growing up in the 50s and 60s, her
career, looking after an ill parent
and more recently, her experience
of being diagnosed with cancer.
Sandi ToksvigDesert Island Books
One of our wittiest comedians will
choose which books she would
take to a Desert Island, should
that fate ever befall her, which we
sincerely hope it won’t.
In memory of Linda Smith.
With thanks to Warren Lakin.
A donation from each ticket will
go to Ovarian Cancer Action.
Edward Docx and Alex DrydenRussia: Has Anything Changed?
Edward Docx and Alex Dryden
(not his real name for security
reasons) will discuss their books
which take place in modern Russia.
‘Self Help’ tells of a family haunted
by the shadows of the old East-
West order; ‘Red To Black’ is a
truly frightening spy thriller set
in the new Russian state where
fact and fiction are in dangerous
collusion.
Karen ArmstrongWho Actually Wrote The Bible?
One of the world’s foremost
commentators on religious affairs,
Karen Armstrong, will trace the
story of the gestation of the Bible
and reveal its origins and the
development of both the Hebrew
Bible and the New Testament.
#66
9.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Lorna
Duffin
#67
10.45am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton
#68
12 noon
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Peter
Philpott
#69
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Peter
Stanford
Sandi Toksvig Karen Armstrong
Jenni Murray
Thursday 17 July - Great Hall
Hugh MilesLove And Cards In Cairo
Belly-dancing girls, mouth-watering
desserts, camels and cards – Hugh
Miles’ choice was either working
near the Elephant & Castle or
freelancing in Cairo. This is a
delightful love story on many levels.
Julia BlackburnA Tangled Family Triangle
‘The Three of Us’ tells the story
of a small bohemian family in
which alcohol, drugs, sex, violence,
betrayal and suicide were the
ingredients of daily life. Julia will
talk about how she survived her
parents, in particular her mother,
and how the chaos of the past was
ultimately resolved, with the help
of humour as well as forgiveness.
Dan CruickshankAdventures In Architecture
We all have buildings we love
or hate, or love to hate. Dan
Cruickshank, writer and television
presenter, has compiled his own
list of 40 buildings that impress,
astonish and perhaps even alter our
perception of the world.
Carl HonoréSlow Down - You Move Too Fast
When Carl Honoré wrote ‘In
Praise of Slow’ it spoke to many
people who suffered from moving
too fast through life. Many warmed
to the idea of slowing down. Now
he has written a book aimed at
parents, urging them to make family
life an unstressful haven.
#70
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Zoe Clough
#71
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Caroline
John
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #66 - #71 : £36
#72
7.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Zoe Clough
#73
9pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Kay
Dunbar
Julia BlackburnHugh Miles
Dan CruickshankCarl Honoré
Thursday 17 July - Barn Theatre - But That’s History
Nicola TyrerAngels On The Front Line
Nicola Tyrer describes the
experiences of the girls plucked
from their sheltered backgrounds
and sent as nurses to share the
harsh conditions of the fighting
services during WWII. They had
to deal with appalling suffering,
yet most found reserves of inner
strength. This is their story.
Piers BrendonThe Decline And Fall Of The British Empire
Piers Brendon has rivalled Gibbon
with this new history. Expect to
be taken on a thrilling journey
spanning centuries, full of vivid
detail, comic episodes and symbolic
moments. ‘A masterpiece of
historical narrative’.
Lucy WorsleyCavalier: The Biography Of A 17th Century Household
Focusing on William Cavendish
- horseman, diplomat, womaniser
- Lucy Worsley brings to life
the complex and fascinating
household hierarchies of 17th
century England, painting a picture
of conspiracy, sexual intrigue,
clandestine marriage and gossip.
Helen RappaportThe Romanovs’ Last Days
The Romanov story is powerful
and compelling. The discovery in
July 2007 of the missing remains
of Tsarevich Alexey and his sister
Maria, disproves claims about
escape and survival. What really
happened on that terrible night in
Ekaterinburg in July 1918? Today,
17 July, the 90th anniversary of
their deaths, Helen Rappaport gives
her view of the story.
Janie HamptonFair Play
With the run-up to the London
Olympics in 2012 and its multi-
million pound budget, Janie
Hampton tells of the last Olympics
held in London in 1948. WWII
had just ended and it was a period
of make do and mend. Known as
the ‘Austerity Olympics’, it was
organised with scant resources by
the people for the people.
Leo HollisLondon Rising From The Ashes
Historian Leo Hollis recalls the
men who transformed 17th century
London into the world’s first
modern city. In 1666 the Great Fire
of London destroyed huge areas
of a city already hit by plague and
civil war. Hollis shines a light on its
rebuilding.
#74
9.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Pippa Warrin
#75
10.45am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Paul
Brassley
#76
12 noon
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Clive
Fairweather
#77
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
David Lewis
#78
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Michael
Bennie
#79
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
James Long
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #74 - #79 : £36
Booking Form
• VIA OUR NEW WEBSITEwww.wayswithwords.co.uk (from 27 May)
• BY PHONETel: 01803 867373
Please have your event numbers ready
before phoning.
• BY POSTPlease complete this form and send with payment
and stamped s.a.e. to:
Ways With Words Festival Box Office,
Droridge Farm, Dartington,
Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG
Payment can be:
- by cheque made payable to ‘Ways With Words’.
Please leave the amount in figures blank.
On the line for amount in words write: “not to
exceed: (the amount of your order in words)”.
Then sign the cheque.
This is in case some of your order is not available,
in which case we shall complete your cheque for
the lesser amount.
- by credit / debit card
(Visa / Mastercard / Maestro)
(Maestro)
valid from _______/________
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If some of your order is unavailable we shall send those tickets which are available unless you say otherwise.
NameAddress
PostcodeTel.E-mail
BOOKING FOR FRIENDSSTARTS TUESDAY 20 MAY - max. 2 tickets per event. - for phone and postal bookings only.
GENERAL BOOKING STARTSTUESDAY 27 MAY
BEFORE THE FESTIVAL THE BOX OFFICE WILL BE OPEN FOR TELEPHONE BOOKINGS MONDAY - FRIDAY 10am - 5pm
DURING THE FESTIVAL THE BOX OFFICE WILL OPEN 15 MINS. BEFORE THE FIRST EVENT OF THE DAY AND WILL CLOSE AFTER THE START OF THE LAST EVENT.
DATA PROTECTION: Ways With Words will not pass on your details to any other organisation.
BOOKING CONDITIONS APPLY: Please refer to the back of the programme for details. By purchasing tickets from Ways With Words you are automatically agreeing to abide by the conditions as specified.
YOUNG PERSON STANDBY TICKETSPeople aged 24 and under can buy tickets normally priced at £8 or £5 for just £4 if purchased in person on the day of the event. Proof of age will be required.
# event £ no. total
eg A.N. Author 8 3 24
FRIDAY 11 JULY
1 Martin Bell 8
2 James & Ben Long 8
3 Keir Davidson 8
4 Kate Mosse 8
5 Brian Patten 8
SATURDAY 12 JULY
6 Penelope Lively 8
7 Christina Lamb & Martin Bell 8
8 David Owen 8
9 Oona King 8
10 Tariq Ali 8
11 Robin Ince 16
GH Day Ticket #6 - #10 30
12 Henry Hemming 8
13 Anne Sebba 8
14 Maureen Freely 8
15 Judith Mackrell 8
16 Frances Osborne 8
17 Mavis Cheek & Alison Weir 8
BT Day Ticket #12 - #17 36
SUNDAY 13 JULY
18 Jon Snow 8
19 Diana Athill 8
20 Philippe Sands & Jon Snow 8
21 Gervase Phinn 8
22 Jonathan Dimbleby 8
23 Jonathan Fenby 8
24 Guy Watson 8
25 Paul Kingsnorth 8
GH Day Ticket #18 - #23 36
26 Andy & Dave Hamilton 8
27 Craig Sams & Jo Fairley 8
28 Tamasin Day-Lewis 8
29 Graham Harvey 8
30 Rose Prince 8
31 Sue Clifford & James Crowden 8
BT Day Ticket #26 - #31 36
MONDAY 14 JULY
32 David Thurston 8
33 Michael Bird 8
34 Sheila Paine 8
# event £ no. total
35 Gavin Menzies 8
BT Day Ticket #32 - #35 24
36 Ian Mortimer 8
37 James Long 8
38 Simon Montefiore 8
39 Julian Baggini 8
40 Poppy Adams & Rebecca Abrams 8
41 Matt Harvey & Friends 8
GH Day Ticket #36 - #40 30
TUESDAY 15 JULY
42 Raymond Tallis 8
43 Henry Hitchings 8
44 John Julius Norwich 8
45 Laura Thompson 8
46 Frances Wilson 8
47 Justine Picardie & Lynne Hatwell 8
48 Tim Macartney 8
49 Barron Brady 8
GH Day Ticket #42 - #47 36
50 Ziyad Marar 8
51 Mark Vernon 8
52 Havi Carel 8
53 John Harvey 8
54 Raymond Tallis 8
BT Day Ticket #50 - #54 30
WEDNESDAY 16 JULY
55 Christina Hardyment 8
56 Lesley Downer 8
57 Ruth Brandon 8
58 Celia Robertson 8
59 Virginia Ironside 8
BT Day Ticket #55 - #59 30
60 Jonathon Porritt 8
61 Satish Kumar 8
62 Matthew Fort 8
63 Katharine Whitehorn 8
64 Jay Rayner 8
65 Sandi Toksvig (1) 16
GH Day Ticket #60 - #64 30
THURSDAY 17 JULY
66 Jenni Murray 8
67 Sandi Toksvig (2) 8
68 Edward Docx & Alex Dryden 8
# event £ no. total
69 Karen Armstrong 8
70 Hugh Miles 8
71 Julia Blackburn 8
72 Dan Cruickshank 8
73 Carl Honoré 8
GH Day Ticket #66 - #71 36
74 Nicola Tyrer 8
75 Piers Brendon 8
76 Lucy Worsley 8
77 Helen Rappaport 8
78 Janie Hampton 8
79 Leo Hollis 8
BT Day Ticket #74 - #79 36
FRIDAY 18 JULY
80 Caspar Walsh 8
81 Rachel Billington 8
82 Patrick Maguire 8
83 Kate Summerscale 8
BT Day Ticket #80 - #83 24
84 Patrick French 8
85 Valerie Grove 8
86 Jasper Rees 8
87 Callil, Coonan & Roberts 8
88 French, Grove, Stanford & Tomalin 8
89 Mike Jackson & Patrick Bishop 8
90 Steven Berkoff 8
91 Michael Frayn 8
GH Day Ticket #84 - #89 36
SATURDAY 19 JULY
92 Patrick Cockburn & Oliver Poole 8
93 Tony Benn 8
94 Claire Tomalin 8
95 Roy Hattersley 8
96 Simon Elmes & Kate Adie 8
97 Daily Telegraph - Balloon Debate 8
GH Day Ticket #92 - #96 30
98 Michael Boulter 8
99 Gay Watson 8
100 Robert Mighall 8
101 Robert Penn & Antony Woodward 8
102 Linda Blair 8
103 Andrew Davies 8
BT Day Ticket #98 - #103 36
# event £ no. total
SUNDAY 20 JULY
104 Clare Jones & Steve Watkins 8
105 Tim FitzHigham 8
106 Annie Hawes 8
107 Kei Miller & Malcolm Knox 8
108 Sukhdev Sandhu 8
BT Day Ticket #104 - #108 30
109 A.C. Grayling 8
110 Katie Hickman 8
111 Will The Duke Laugh? 5
112 Esther Rantzen 8
113 Lloyd Jones & Philip Hensher 8
114 Richard Harries 8
GH Day Ticket #109 - #113 30
And Another Thing . . .
115 Sun On The Water 5
116 Oversteps Poets 5
117 Ashide - A Second Nature 5
118 Book Worm 5
119 Weyland - Peter Oswald 5
120 Landscape As Muse - Competition FREE
121 Book Publishing - Caroline Taggart 5
122 A Trio Of Poets 5
123 Hidden Histories 5
124 What Women Can Do . . . 5
125 A Life Lived To The Full - Ann Kelley 5
126 The Ghosts Of Russia Past - Feinstein 5
127 On A Bat’s Wing 5
128 14th Century Close Encounter 5
FE1 Keeping A Journal 24
FE2 Foraging Walk 5
FE3 Poetry Walk With The Honeytongues 5
FE4 Memoir Workshop - Julia Blackburn 15
FE5 Memoir Workshop - Caspar Walsh 15
FE6 In Search Of Bats 5
TICKET TOTAL £
Rover Tickets and Accommodation Packages
ROVER TICKETSRover tickets give admission to numbered events
over a particular period. They can be bought
separately or as part of an inclusive accommodation
package.
A Rover ticket guarantees a seat for every event in
the Great Hall.
We hold a set number of seats for Rover ticket
holders in the Barn Theatre and other, smaller
venues. These are on a first come, first served basis.
‘Festival Extras’ must be purchased separately.
To purchase Rover tickets please write the number
you require in the box and then make payment as
indicated on the front of the booking form.
ACCOMMODATION PACKAGESWays With Words offers a full 10-night
accommodation package (ranging from £685 - £1285
pp) and two 5-night packages (from £370 - £670 pp)
in Higher Close or in the Courtyard at Dartington
Hall. We also offer two 3-night weekend packages
(from £240 - £285 pp) and a 4-night midweek
package (from £375 - £425 pp) in Higher Close.
Accommodation varies from comfortable, en suite
bedrooms right in the heart of the festival site to
single, student bedrooms (which share bathroom
facilities) about 2 mins. walk from the main site.
Along with your room and breakfast, packages
include lunch and dinner, or just dinner.
All packages include a Rover ticket in the price.
If you are interested in an accommodation package
please phone 01803 867373 and we can advise on
availability and give more details.
BED & BREAKFAST
Bed & Breakfast accommodation is available in the
Higher Close student residences (single rooms
sharing bathroom facilities) at £27 pppn.
There is a 2-night minimum stay.
10-day Rover ticket (Price: £260)
• admission to all numbered events.
5-day Rover ticket (Price: £185)
• 1st 5-day Rovers begin with event
#1 on Friday 11 July and end at 1pm
on Wednesday 16 July.
• 2nd 5-day Rovers begin with the
2pm event on Wednesday 16 July
until the end of the festival.
Weekend / Midweek Rover tickets
• 1st weekend Rovers begin with
event #1 on Friday 11 July
and end with the last event on
Sunday 13 July. (Price: £125)
• 2nd weekend Rovers begin on
Friday 18 July at 2pm until the end
of the festival. (Price: £125)
• Midweek Rovers run for 5 days
from Monday 14 July to
Friday 18 July. (Price: £160)
TO MAKE A RESERVATION for an accommodation / Rover package or for B&B please phone 01803 867373.
Payment in full is required at the time of booking. Cancellations cannot be refunded. Customers are strongly advised to take out holiday insurance.
Friday 18 July - Barn Theatre - Crime & Punishment
Caspar WalshCrime And Rehabilitation
Like many boys Caspar Walsh
wanted to emulate his father, but
his father was a criminal. From
an early age Caspar was sucked
into his dangerous if sometimes
glamorous life. He tells the tale of
a misspent youth and subsequent
imprisonment and rehabilitation,
which led to a career helping other
men in prison. He is joined by
writer Peter Stanford, director of
the Longford Trust, which focuses
on penal reform.
Rachel BillingtonInside And Outside Time
Novelist Rachel Billington, co-
editor of ‘Inside Time’, the national
newspaper for prisoners, talks
about the themes in her latest
novel, ‘Lies And Loyalties’. The plot
moves from parliament to prison,
from church to a mental hospital
and from outcasts to those who
conduct the law. The story centres
around a suicide and the impact on
the family concerned.
Patrick MaguireGuilty/Not Guilty
Patrick Maguire was the youngest
of the Maguire Seven and at 14 was
imprisoned in connection with the
1970 IRA bombings in Guildford.
After 4 years he was released
but homeless as his parents were
still inside. Twenty years later a
report called it the worst ever
miscarriage of justice. He talks to
Peter Stanford about the wrongful
convictions which destroyed his
family and shaped his life.
Kate SummerscaleThe Art Of Detection
A body, a detective, a country
house: it would appear to be the
ingredients of crime fiction but
the story of Mr Whicher is true.
Kate Summerscale, author of
‘The Queen of Whale Cay’ and
past judge of the Booker prize,
untangles the horrifying facts
behind this notorious case, which
in 1860 marked the start of the
public’s fascination for gruesome
news stories.
#80
10am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Peter
Stanford
#81
11.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Peter
Stanford
#82
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Peter
Stanford
#83
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #80 - #83 : £24
Caspar Walsh Rachel Billington Patrick Maguire Kate Summerscale
Friday 18 July - Great Hall
Patrick FrenchUnlocking V.S. Naipaul’s Life
Patrick French, biographer of
V.S. Naipaul, says that it is trite
to suggest that a biographer can
find the key to someone’s life
- people are too complicated
and inconsistent for this. Naipaul
certainly was. French writes, ‘He
could be angry, acute, open, self-
pitying, funny, sarcastic, tearful.’
He may not have found the key
but French has been lauded for
his frankness, sympathy and
understanding.
Valerie GroveA Voyage Around John Mortimer
Novelist, playwright and barrister,
John Mortimer has led a rich
personal and professional life.
Valerie Grove, the biographer of
Dodie Smith and Laurie Lee, and
a journalist at The Times and The
Oldie, has had full access to John
Mortimer, his circle of friends and
colleagues and their diaries and
letters. She has many stories to tell
about her colourful subject.
Jasper ReesThe Most Difficult Instrument
Jasper Rees agreed to perform a
concerto just one year after picking
up his horn again after 22 years.
Obsession? Midlife crisis? Why did
he put this impossible strain on
himself? He’ll try to explain.
Carmen Callil, Donna Coonan and Michèle RobertsCelebrating Virago
Carmen Callil set up Virago over
30 years ago to publish books that
celebrated women - and dreamt
of shelves of green paperbacks all
over the world. She joins novelist
Michèle Roberts and Virago’s
present Commissioning Editor
Donna Coonan to remember how
it all began.
#84
9.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Mary Jacobs
#85
10.45am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
#86
12 noon
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Andy
Christian
#87
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Patrick FrenchMichèle Roberts
Carmen Callil
Friday 18 July - Great Hall
Patrick French, Valerie Grove, Peter Stanford, Claire TomalinWanted Dead Or Alive
Is it easier to tell the biography of
someone who is no longer around
or someone who is large as life
still? Is the truth compromised by
having the subject peering over
your shoulder? These acclaimed
biographers discuss the restrictions
they encounter and what they do
about them.
General Sir Mike Jackson and Patrick BishopMilitary Men
General Sir Mike Jackson served
world-wide during his army
career and is well known for his
controversial views on Iraq.
‘Bomber Boys’, Patrick Bishop’s
account of the pilots who flew on
bombing raids during WWII, is
a tribute to the courage of RAF
aircrew of the time. They share
their views on military life.
#88
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Fox
#89
5pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
James
Long
Steven BerkoffFood For Thought
Actor, writer and eminent theatre
director Steven Berkoff’s obsession
with food started at his mother’s
table. Tonight he takes us on a
culinary tour of his life from East
End cafés to New York diners,
from sushi in Tokyo to falafels
in Tel Aviv. He describes how
food often took on the guise
of comforter and companion at
difficult times in his life.
Sponsored by the Ronald Duncan
Literary Foundation in recognition of
Duncan’s extensive literary career.
Michael FraynWhat Is Theatre?
To mark the opening of his new
play, ‘Afterlife’, Michael Frayn has
collected together his writings on
the theatre from 1970 to 2008.
‘Stage Directions’ gives his views
on theatre, his influences, his initial
rejection and ultimate conversion
to the form. But what can theatre
do? What are plays for?
#90
7.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
#91
9pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sarah
Crompton
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #84 - #89 : £36
Valerie Grove
General Sir Mike Jackson
Michael Frayn
Steven Berkoff
Saturday 19 July - Great Hall
Patrick Cockburn and Oliver PooleUnderstanding IraqTwo foreign correspondents with
years of experience of life in Iraq
describe this war-torn country.
‘The brilliant and brave’ Patrick
Cockburn, as James Naughtie
describes him, is the Middle East
correspondent for The Independent
and has been reporting from Iraq
since 1978. He and his books have
won many awards.
Oliver Poole spent 5 years in Baghdad
with The Daily Telegraph and tells of
the horrors of daily life for ordinary
Iraqis as well as for English and
American soldiers.
In a longer event than usual each
writer will give his views of the
country and then there will be an
extended discussion on the Iraq
situation.
Tony BennMore Time For PoliticsWhen Tony Benn left Parliament after
51 years he remarked that now ‘he
would have more time for politics’.
And so this has proved. He has helped
reinvigorate national debate through
public meetings, mass campaigns and
television appearances, bringing moral
and political issues to a wide audience.
This afternoon he will talk about the
period covered in his latest diaries
between 2001-2007.
Claire TomalinThe Time-Torn Man:A Life Of Thomas Hardy
In her biography of Thomas Hardy,
Claire Tomalin brings the man as
well as the writer to life, describing
how he was regular in his habits,
how he sprinkled brown sugar on
his breakfast bacon and refused to
let the maids into his room in case
they touched his papers. She tells
of his mournful wistfulness for the
past and describes his working life.
#92
10-11.30am
Great Hall
£8
#93
12 noon
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Ruth
Winstone
#94
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Mary
Jacobs
Patr
ick
Coc
kbur
nO
liver
Poo
le
Tony Benn & Ruth Winstone
Saturday 19 July - Great Hall
Roy HattersleyBorrowed Time
Roy Hattersley reassesses the
uneasy peace between the wars
when Britain saw a general strike,
the worst economic crisis in
history, armed rebellion in Ireland
and the King’s abdication. There
were moments of triumph too.
The country ran to glory in the
Olympics, the BBC was born and
there was a renaissance in poetry
and cinema which illuminated
the darkness for millions. He
describes the despondency but
also the moments of hope that
characterised this period.
#95
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Paul
Brassley
Simon Elmes In Conversation WithKate AdieAnd Now On Radio 4
Simon Elmes, deputy editor of the
BBC’s Radio Documentaries Unit,
takes us through an addictive mix
of history, biography, anecdote
and occasional useless fact about
the history of Radio 4. Who for
example can remember that Russell
Harty once hosted ‘Start the
Week’, a combination compared
by one insider to ‘letting Graham
Norton run Newsnight?’ He is
joined by Kate Adie, presenter
of Radio 4’s ‘From Our Own
Correspondent’, for what should
be an entertaining hour for Radio 4
aficionados.
Grand Literary Balloon DebateWith Alexander Waugh,Andrew Davies, Carmen Callil, Philip Hensher and maybe more!
Join our chairman, Alexander
Waugh, as he pilots his imaginary
balloon towards the brightest
heaven of invention.
Each of our panellists will fight it
out on behalf of a favourite author
to decide who will ascend to the
empyrean. . .
. . . and who is jettisoned.
Last one in the basket is
the winner.
#96
5pm
Great Hall
£8
#97
8pm
Great Hall
£8
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #92 - #96 : £30
Cla
ire
Tom
alin
Kat
e A
die
Saturday 19 July - Barn Theatre - Blue Sky Thoughts
Michael BoulterDarwin’s House
For almost 20 years Darwin
turned his garden at Down House
into a laboratory to develop
his understanding of the natural
world and to test his ideas for his
book, ‘On The Origin Of Species’.
Michael Boulter, distinguished
scientist and author of ‘Extinction’,
currently works at the Natural
History Museum.
Gay WatsonA Way Of Living
Gay Watson, psychotherapist
and author, with a doctorate in
Buddhist Studies, offers a synthesis
of Buddhism, psychotherapy,
neuroscience, ecology and
feminism to suggest a sane and
compassionate way of living.
Robert MighallSunny Days
Robert Mighall is obsessed with
sunshine. He climbs ladders
to catch the last rays of the
descending sun and takes regular
sun breaks during the working day.
He explores why sunshine became
a symbol of health, hope and
freedom in the early 20th century
and how this love affair has filtered
into all aspects of our culture.
Robert Penn and Antony WoodwardThe Wrong Kind Of Snow
These two authors, living in a
part of the country with plenty of
weather, will talk about how events
both of historical significance
(the Norman Conquest, the
Spanish Armada) and of minimal
importance (a football game,
a Heineken advert) have been
influenced by our national topic of
conversation.
Linda BlairHelpless? Take Charge!
Modern life can be overwhelming.
Work, relationships, finance all
create anxiety. People feel out
of control. Linda Blair, clinical
psychologist and Guardian
columnist, gives straightforward
advice for a happier, less stressful
life.
Andrew DaviesThe Davies Treatment
Ripping bodices, heaving bosoms
and cavorting in carriages - it’s all
in a day’s work for Andrew Davies,
British television’s acknowledged
master of literary adaptation.
Now the film of Evelyn Waugh’s
‘Brideshead Revisited’, Charles
Dickens’ ‘Little Dorrit’, and a film
version of Annie Griffin’s Channel
4 situation comedy ‘The Book
Group’ get the entertaining Davies
treatment.
#98
9.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Angela
Brassley
#99
10.45am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Michael
Elsmere
#100
12 noon
Barn Theatre
£8
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #98 - #103 : £36
#101
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
James Long
#102
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Angela
Brassley
#103
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
Sunday 20 July - Barn Theatre - Journeys
Clare Jones and Steve WatkinsThese Boots Are Made For Walking
Clare Jones and Steve Watkins
describe some of the unforgettable
walks that they have been on, from
climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to
hiking Peru’s classic Inca Trail and
tackling the Tour du Mont Blanc.
Dig out your walking boots.
Tim FitzHighamOne Man In A Tub
‘I was crossing the world’s busiest
shipping lanes, at right angles
to the traffic-flow in a piece of
copper plumbing. It was like
playing ‘chicken’ on the M1 riding
a snail.’ Comedian Tim FitzHigham
recounts his tale of being the first
person to row across the English
Channel in an antique Thomas
Crapper bath – a 200 mile-odyssey
that ended in a meeting with the
Queen.
Annie HawesSweet Sahara
Travel writer Annie Hawes
describes her search for a small
oasis town deep in the Sahara,
whose inhabitants came to her
rescue on a black day during
adolescence. She recounts her
adventures along the way, which
include sharing pigeon pie with
a family of cannabis farmers and
learning about the habits of djinns.
Kei Miller and Malcolm KnoxJamaica: Paradise Lost
Kei Miller and Malcolm Knox talk
about Jamaica, the setting for their
new novels. They look at different
times in its history and offer fresh
insights into the country.
Sukhdev SandhuNight Watch
Author and film critic Sukhdev
Sandhu takes to the streets of
London and gets to know the
capital’s nocturnal inhabitants. He
describes the people he meets:
the troubled, (the immigrant
cab drivers existing on minimum
wages); those who help the
troubled (the Samaritans); and the
troublemakers (graffiti artists etc.)
occasionally getting into trouble
himself.
#104
10.30am
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Elizabeth
Cooke
#105
12 noon
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Peter
Philpott
#106
2pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Tony
Clayden
#107
3.30pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Peter
Philpott
#108
5pm
Barn Theatre
£8
Chair:
Elizabeth
Cooke
Barn Theatre Day TicketEvents #104 - #108 : £30
Sukhdev SandhuKei Miller
Sunday 20 July - Great Hall
A.C. GraylingA Man For Our Time
Our leading philosopher A.C.
Grayling writes about morality in a
way that is accessible yet thought-
provoking. Today he discusses the
challenges of our time. Always
stimulating, always engaging.
Katie HickmanEastern Promise
Katie Hickman’s second novel,
‘The Aviary Gate’, is set during the
Ottoman Empire in 16th century
Constantinople and looks at the
lives of women enslaved in the
Sultan’s harem. She reveals why the
West is obsessed by this subject,
the difficulty of researching the
lives of women, and why, as an
historian, she now writes novels
rather than academic papers.
Will The Duke Laugh?Storyteller, Clive Fairweather,
is accompanied by
Stephen Tyler (hurdy-gurdy)
and Katy Marchant (bagpipes)
to delight and entertain the whole
family with storytelling, history
and music - exactly the sort of
entertainment that would have
been put on for the Duke of
Exeter, for whom the Great Hall at
Dartington was built c1390.
It aims to take families on a journey
into the 14th century.
Esther RantzenBaby Boomers Grow Up
Esther Rantzen recounts her
experiences to guide and entertain
the baby boom generation.
Whether it be dealing with her
career, her grown-up children, the
death of her husband or battling
with brainless ageism, her tales will
strike a chord.
#109
9.30am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
#110
10.45am
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard
Ryder
#111
12 noon
Great Hall
£5
#112
2pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Linnie Price
FAM
ILY
EV
ENT
A.C. GraylingKatie Hickman Esther Rantzen
Sunday 20 July - Great Hall
Lloyd Jones and Philip HensherDiscussing Fiction
Lloyd Jones introduces his
Man Booker short-listed novel,
‘Mister Pip’, in which a small girl
finds solace in fiction from the
troubles around her.
Philip Hensher discusses his
latest novel, chronicling the
last three decades and charting
the relationship between two
families, while the political and
social landscape of England shifts
irrevocably in the background.
They talk about the transformative
power of fiction with Sam Leith,
Literary Editor of The Daily
Telegraph.
An Auction Of Promises And Other Treats
An unusual collection of irresistible
and unusual lots will come up for
auction. You can bid for a
storyteller to attend your next
party (for children or adults), to
have lunch with a writer, to buy
original illustrations of writers, to
take home some local Devon cider
- and lots more. Pick up a brochure
from the Ways With Words office.
Our fierce auctioneer will keep the
pace fast. Come to spend or just
to watch.
All proceeds will go to the
Ways With Words Bursary Fund
#113
3.30pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Sam Leith
5pm
Great Hall
FREE
Great Hall Day TicketEvents #109 - #113 : £30
END OF FESTIVAL SERVICE OF CELEBRATION AND THANKSGIVING
led by The Revd Dr Joanna
Abecassis, Vicar of Dartington,
with guest preacher The Rt
Revd the Lord Harries of
Pentregarth (better known
as Richard Harries, the recently-
retired Bishop of Oxford). Music
will be provided by the Dartington
Brass Consort, directed by
Catherine Carter-Tyler, and
the Choir of St Mary’s Church,
Totnes, directed by Mark Casey.
A magnificent opportunity to
worship - to sing - to learn - to be
challenged - to reflect - and to give
thanks for the 2008 Festival.
Richard HarriesMorality Tale
We are living off moral capital,
argues The Rt Revd the Lord
Harries, formerly Bishop of Oxford
and now Professor of Theology
at King’s College, Oxford. He
discusses the relationship between
Christianity and the decisions we
make and considers this in relation
to the four great drivers of human
conduct – sex, money, power and
fame.
6.30pm
Great Hall
FREE
#114
8pm
Great Hall
£8
Chair:
Richard Harries
. . .
. and
ano
ther
thing
© Paula Cloonan
As well as the events in the Great Hall and the Barn Theatre, there are many other things happening in and around the courtyard during the festival.
Shhh! - Have a quiet read in the outdoor reading room. Sponsored by
WRITING WORKSHOPFestival Extra (FE1)
Sat 12, Sun 13, Mon 14, Tues 15 July
9.10am - 9.50am Lane Room
Cost for 4 sessions: £24
Keeping A JournalStart your day at the festival with poet
Christopher North’s morning workshop,
exploring ways of enriching and developing
your creative writing and reading by keeping a
journal. He will suggest exercises to broaden
your approach and quote examples from
the great ‘journalers’ of the past such as
Katherine Mansfield, Henry James, Sylvia Plath,
Denton Welch etc. Journal entries through
the course of the festival will be encouraged.
There will be a sideways glance at the joys of
blogging.
storytelling, forag
ing, re
citat
ion
walks, poetry, workshop
s
O X F O R D W O R L D ’ S C L A S S I C S
O X F O R D W O R L D ’ S C L A S S I C S
O X F O R D W O R L D ’ S C L A S S I C S
O X F O R D W O R L D ’ S C L A S S I C S
O X F O R D W O R L D ’ S C L A S S I C S
9.75 pt + 240 TRACKING
14 pt + 220 TRACKING
18 pt+ 200 TRACKING
24 pt+ 180 TRACKING
30 pt + 160 TRACKING
Preferred styling of OWC ‘logo’Capitolium, Bold, CAPS, optical kerning, + TRACKING as below.
NB:
‘L’ of “WORLD’S” tracking increased by 60 units.
‘L’ of “CLASSICS” tracking is reduced by 60 units.‘A’ of “CLASSICS” tracking is reduced by 20 units.
SATURDAY 12 JULY
#115 11am Dukes Room £5
Sun On The WaterAlyson Hallett, ‘The Stone Library’ - Peterloo
Poets, Julie-ann Rowell, ‘Letters North’ - The
Brodie Press, Susan Taylor, ‘The Suspension of
the Moon’ - Oversteps Books
Three Devon poets with three new poetry
collections. Each offers a fabulously different way
of seeing – travel the world without leaving your
seat!
#116 2.30pm Dukes Room £5
Oversteps PoetsAlwyn Marriage introduces:
Christopher Cook, Giles Goodland, Genista
Lewes, Mary Maher, Alwyn Marriage,
Mandy Pannett and Simon Williams
Oversteps Books has been publishing fine poetry
for over twenty years. Alwyn Marriage, who has
taken over from Anne Born as Managing Editor,
will introduce a joint poetry reading by some of
the poets who have been published by Oversteps.
#117 4.30pm Dukes Room £5
Ashide - A Second NatureInspired by Japanese gardens in the UK, including
the one at Dartington, this performance by
poet John Powls and photographer Carol
Ballenger combines poetry and music against a
backdrop of projected images.
5.45pm - Following the Ashide performance there
will be a chance to meet poet John Powls and
photographer Carol Ballenger and to view the Ashide
exhibition in the Round House café.
Refreshments provided.
SUNDAY 13 JULY
#118 11.30am Dukes Room £5
Book WormA love of reading has sustained Lynne Hatwell,
a self-confessed bookaholic, since childhood. The
hugely popular ‘dovegreyreader’ is the blog she set
up two years ago to share a daily online dialogue
about good books with like-minded people across
the world. Now it is read in over ninety countries
each week and archived by The British Library.
Find out how it all began and then follow her daily
blogs from Ways With Words throughout the
festival. (http://dovegreyreader.typepad.com)
10.30am, 1.30pm, 3pm £4 (at the Teepee)
FAMILY EVENTThe Man From Story Mountain
Adrian Beckingham tells Stories That Crafted
The Earth. Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime,
Yanomami Indians of the Amazon rainforest,
American Indian, Canadian Indian, Balinese,
Nepalese & Tibetan, Egyptian, African, Viking
Norsemen, China, Aztec, Celtic, Irish, Ancient
Britain, & Dragon Stories: stories to show the lives
and belief systems of other cultures.
For children and adults
(children must be accompanied by an adult)
storytelling, forag
ing, re
citat
ion
supported by Dartington Arts and
Sunday 13 July 12 noon Teepee Free
Rufus And The Biggest Diamond In The World
A book signing and short reading by the author,
Michael Elsmere.
Festival Extra (FE2)The Great OutdoorsSunday 13 July 12 noon £5
Meet under the arch
Foraging WalkJoin Andy and Dave Hamilton - the Self
Sufficient-ish Twins - for a search for food for free
in the hedgerows and woods.
See what nature has to offer.
Festival Extra (FE3)The Great OutdoorsSunday 13 July 2pm £5
Meet under the arch
Poetry Walk WithThe Honeytongues
Miriam Darlington and Lucy Lepchani,
also known as ‘The Honeytongues’, team up for
a sumptuous comeback to tour the Gardens in a
feast of poems to delight the senses. Miriam’s work
maps a journey that is lyrical and bold, unearthing
compassion and dark humour towards humanity
in the natural world. Lucy, a committed poetry
activist, writes and performs her poems regularly
at cabarets and festivals.
#119 Sunday 13 July 4 - 6pm Dukes Room £5
WeylandWeyland is an epic poem, composed, learned and
performed by Peter Oswald, with the help of
the renowned trumpeter Martin Holland. It tells
the story of Weyland, in Norse myth a smith
who is crippled and imprisoned by the mad King
Nud. Peter Oswald was Writer in Residence at
Dartington Hall and at the Globe where three of
his verse plays were performed. His plays have also
been staged at the National, Birmingham Rep and
worldwide.
Andy & Dave Hamilton
The H
oneytongues
WEDNESDAY 16 JULY
#120 2pm Dukes Room Free, but ticketed
Devon Wildlife Trust / Ways With Words Landscape As Muse, Poetry and Essay Competition Event
What makes a winner?
The judges Andy Brown and Stephen
Hussey will give their views while the winners
and runners-up will read their poems and essays.
THURSDAY 17 JULY
Festival Extra (FE4)10am - 12 noon Lane Room £15
Memoir Writing WorkshopTutor: Julia Blackburn
Going public, keeping private: the motives, the
boundaries and the need for laughter when writing
about one’s own family. A round table discussion,
followed by a practical workshop.
Festival Extra (FE5)2 - 4pm Lane Room £15
Memoir Writing WorkshopCrime, violence and night-time monsters were a
regular part of Caspar Walsh’s childhood. For
27 years prison has shaped his life: visiting his
father, doing time himself and now running writing
workshops. Writing his memoirs helped him to
acknowledge and understand his experiences. He
offers ideas and exercises to help with life writing.
FRIDAY 18 JULY
#121 3.30pm Dukes Room £5
How To Get Your Book Published And Other Useful Information
Finishing your manuscript seems like hard work
– until you attempt to get it published – that is
when the real work starts. Caroline Taggart
has over 30 years of experience in the publishing
business and will give tips on everything from how
to set out manuscripts to writing a synopsis. She
will explain who makes the decisions and how
much authors get paid.
SATURDAY 19 JULY
#122 11am – 12.30pm Dukes Room £5
A Trio Of PoetsPenelope Shuttle, Alwyn Marriage
and Ann Kelley
Three poets from the South West come together
to read their poetry and to share with the
audience their delight in words, in people and in
the world around them.
#123 2.30pm Dukes Room £5
Hidden HistoriesFiona Bradford, Rose Cook,
Miriam Darlington, Rebecca Gethin,
Julia Stoneham, Susan Taylor
From an 18th century pregnant farmhand who
hanged herself in a Dartmoor barn to training the
troops at Slapton Sands during the Second World
War; from Tarka the otter to the shipwrecked
Napoli off Branscombe – come and hear poems
inspired by Devon’s rich local history. These
are the winning poems from Hidden Histories,
a poetry project across the South West run by
Greta Stoddart, Exeter University’s Writer in
Residence, who will introduce the event.
#124 Saturday 19 July 4pm Dukes Room £5
Better, Better, Better - What Women Can Do To Improve The WorldKaren Eberhardt-Shelton,
Penelope Shuttle and Fiona Walters
In ‘A Women’s Guide To Saving The World’, 83
women from a wide range of backgrounds and age
groups, accomplishments and interests ‘speak up’
about what they would do to make the world a
better place. The result is an intriguing and potent
mix of recipes for righting wrongs, correcting
imbalances and addressing what has been
overlooked and neglected. Come to be prodded,
persuaded, goaded and to give your view.
#125 Saturday 19 July 4pm Upper Solar £5
A Life Lived To The FullPoet Ann Kelley won the Costa prize with her
novel ‘The Bower Bird’. It is a glimpse into the
head of a child with a chronic disease and was
inspired by the death of her son aged 24 after a
heart and lung transplant. She talks about how life
tips over into art.
#126 Saturday 19 July 5.30pm Dukes Room £5
Chair: Mary Jacobs
The Ghosts Of Russia PastBiographer and poet Elaine Feinstein’s
adventurous new novel, ‘The Russian Jerusalem’,
intersperses imaginary encounters with the dead
poets of Stalin’s Russia with new poems of her
own. She explores the lives and fates of writers
during the long age of Soviet terror.
SUNDAY 20 JULY
#127 11am Dukes Room £5
On A Bat’s WingCaroline Carver, Tinker Mather and
Anthony Wilson read from this anthology
of poems about bats, edited and introduced by
Michael Baron.
While Devon hosts all 17 British species of bats,
this collection hosts 75 poems from the last four
centuries on the world’s only flying mammal.
‘Beautiful, humbling creatures’, the poet Michael
Longley calls these small, furry, echo-locating
beasts that have the power to amuse, delight,
repel, fascinate and educate.
#128 2.30pm Dukes Room £5
14th Century Close EncounterJoin Clive Fairweather, Stephen Tyler
and Katy Marchant for a closer look at the
mediaeval music, the bagpipes, the hurdy-gurdy,
the real-life history and the outrageous storytelling
that featured in this morning’s Great Hall event.
(All ages welcome.)
Festival Extra (FE6)The Great OutdoorsIn Search Of BatsSunday 20 July 10pm £5
Meet under the arch for a Bat Walk led by two
experts Michael Barron and Sylvia Bevis.
Elaine Feinstein Ann Kelley
AestheticaThe Cultural Arts Magazine
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at the heart of earth, art and spirit
Students Go FREE
Bursaries toWays With Words
With the support of Devon County Council’s
Cultural Projects programme we are pleased
to be able to offer Devon-based students
between the ages of 17 - 25 the chance to
attend the whole of this year’s festival free of
charge.
Students whose family home is outside the
county of Devon can apply too, as Ways With
Words also offers bursaries from its own
resources.
To find out more about the scheme
and the application procedure email
[email protected] or write to
WWW Bursaries, Droridge Farm, Dartington,
Devon TQ9 6JG.
DO IT NOW . . . . IT’S FREE!
Places to Stay
FINGALS HOTELCoombe, Dittisham 01803 722398www.fingals.co.uk9 miles • £110 - £160 for 2 B&B
HAZELWOOD HOUSELoddiswell, nr Kingsbridge 01548 821232www.hazelwoodhouse.com10 miles • single rooms from £49pn.
7 THE GROVE Totnes 01803 862866 www.totnesgrove.comS/c flat, parking, garden, central location2 miles • from £70pn dbl.
CULVER PARK Pymouth Rd, Rattery01364 72127 www.culverpark.co.ukB&B or s/c, attached to garden centre3 miles • sgl £35pn, dbl £50pn, s/c from £180pw.
DART VILLAS - Organic Vegetarian B&B3 Dart Villas, Totnes Down Hill, Totnes01803 865895 • lovely Victorian town house2 miles • from £29pppn.
SHARPHAM HOUSE Ashprington, Totnes01803 732542 [email protected] mansion, spectacular views4 miles • £35pppn.
MOME RATHS Ashlea, Dartington, Totnes 01803 865827 [email protected]/c studio apartment easy walking distance 1 mile • dbl £25pppn. sgl £35pppn.
LOWER COBBERTON Dartington, Totnes07990 507047 / 01803 866983Farmhouse B&B, gardens, parking2 miles • sgl/dbl/family rooms £28 – £35 pppn.
BROADHAYES Houndhead, Broadhempstonwww.devon-online.com/broadhayesVillage house B&B, garden, parking, lovely views5 miles • from £30pppn. • 01803 812440
STONELEIGH Blackstone Rd, Ipplepen, Newton Abbot • 01803 812364Cottage B&B, garden, parking, lovely views6 miles • from £25pppn.
Tourist Information • 01803 863168www.totnesinformation.co.uk
Travelling to Dartington
Dartington is about 25 miles southwest of Exeter
and about 4 hours drive from London.
By car, take the M5, A38 and A384, then follow
yellow AA signs to the festival. From the west,
take the A38 from Plymouth, the A385 and then
follow the AA signs.
By train, Totnes is the nearest station, on the
mainline from London Paddington. Dartington Hall
is a 5 minute taxi ride from the station.
ParkingParking is limited at Dartington Hall.
Please leave plenty of time to get to your event
as you may need to park at a distance from the
venues.
Wheelchair accessThere is wheelchair access to the Barn Theatre
and the Great Hall, but please make sure you let
us know when you buy your tickets as wheelchair
spaces are limited and must be reserved in
advance. There is access to the bar and dining
rooms and to some bedrooms.
Hearing difficultiesThere is a loop system in place in the Great Hall
(please ask the stewards where to sit to take
advantage of this) and an infra-red headphone
system in the Barn Theatre.
Eating And DrinkingThe following outlets will be open during the
festival serving a range of food and drinks.
• The White Hart Bar
- next to the Great Hall
• White Hart Patio Marquee
- next to the bar
• The Food Court Marquee
- next to the East Wing
• Higher Close Refectory
- Just below the main car parks
• Juice Moose
- in the main courtyard
• Van Rouge
- in the main courtyard
• The Round House
- adjoining the Barn Theatre
For opening times please see the Festival
Newsletter (available onsite during the festival).
Waterstone’s Torquay
is delighted to be
sponsoring the
Ways With Words
Literature
Festival
Waterstone’s is at Dartington
Hall throughout the festival;
we hope to see you there.
BOOKING CONDITIONS:Ways With Words (WWW) reserves the right to alter the programme or substitute writers without prior notice if circumstances dictate. If a writer is unable to attend a substitute speaker will be found and your ticket will be valid for the substituted event. If you prefer, WWW will exchange your ticket(s) for another event of similar value. However, in these circumstances WWW does not offer a refund. If no substitute can be found and an event is cancelled outright WWW will offer a full refund.
LOST TICKETS: Please take great care of your tickets.WWW will no longer replace lost tickets.
EXCHANGING TICKETS: Tickets may be exchanged for another event of similar value (provided the exchanged event has not already run) at a charge of £1 per ticket.
RE-SELLING TICKETS: The box office will try and re-sell tickets (sold out events only) at a charge of £1 per ticket.
Other things to do . . .
The Ship Studio in the courtyard at Dartington Hall will be open
each day from 10am - 5.30pm, where you will find:
• Quality secondhand and antiquarian books and a display of crafts.
The Round House beside the Barn Theatre.
Ashide - A Second Nature: an exhibition inspired by Japanese
gardens. Carol Ballenger and John Powls respond to the gardens
through their photographs and poems.
July 1-20 9.30am to 8pm
The Cider Press Centre is about 1/2 mile from the festival site
and offers a variety of shops selling crafts, foods and gifts. There are
also 2 restaurants: MORE and Crank’s.
Shops open daily from 9.30am - 5.30pm (Sun. 10.30am - 5.30pm)
High Cross House (10 min. walk across the gardens) is home to
the Dartington Hall Trust’s most beautiful artworks and is itself a
stunning example of modernist architecture.
(Tuesday - Friday, 2 - 4.30pm)
With thanks to . . .
Lord Hattersley, the festival President
Sam Leith, Literary Editor, The Daily TelegraphSarah Crompton, Arts Editor, The Daily Telegraph
Ways With Words’ Patrons:Jonathan Dimbleby, Nicholas Evans, Michael Holroyd CBE, Penelope Lively OBE, James Long, Blake Morrison, Rt. Hon. Lord Owen, Lord O’Hagan, Peter Stanford, Salley Vickers
The Publishers: ACDC, Acumen, Atlantic Books, Aurum Press, Bantam, BBC Books, Birlinn Ltd, Bloomsbury, Book Guild, Jonathan Cape, Carcanet, Constable and Robinson, Continuum, David & Charles, Dovecote Press, Earthscan, Ebury, Faber and Faber, Fourth Estate, Frances Lincoln, Granta Books, Green Books, HarperPress Non-Fiction, Headline Publishing Group, Hodder & Stoughton, Hutchinson, Icon Books, Karnac Books, Little, Brown, Luath Press, Lund Humphries, Macmillan, Methuen, Mona Books, John Murray, Old Street, Orion Books, Oversteps Books, Penguin General, Penguin Press, Piatkus, Picador, Pimlico, Portobello Books, Profile Books, Quercus Books, Random House, Reportage Press, SPCK, Thames & Hudson, Transworld, University of Michigan Press, Verso, Virago, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Best Friends and Good Friends:Elaine Moss, Colin Goldsmith, Pam Harding, Mr & Mrs Wynn, A. Browne, Moira Sykes
Programme Design and Photography:Stephen BristowPrinting: ColourWorks, Totnes
Festival Office Manager: Caroline JohnProject Officer: Victoria PatchBox Office Manager: Anna LunkFestival Interns: Kristian Brunt-Seymour, Sarah Waterson
Technical Advice: Chris EdwardsSound Desk: Rob Waite
All at Dartington Accommodation and Catering Services Ltd.
Ways With Words’Year Ahead
Festivals in Southwold, Suffolk
(6 - 10 November 2008)
and in Keswick, Cumbria
(27 February - 8 March 2009).
Writing and art holidays in Umbria,
Italy (27 Sept. - 11 Oct. 2008).
NEW THIS YEAR - At our farmhouse
in the Perigord region of France,
a writing and art holiday from
6 - 13 June 2008 and a
memoir writing course from
8 - 12 September 2008.
There are still places available on the
memoir writing course which will be
tutored by Penelope Lively and
Julia Blackburn. The course is non-
residential and participants arrange
their own accommodation.
And from 10 - 19 July 2009
Ways With Words will be back
in the magnificent setting of
Dartington Hall.
www.wayswithwords.co.uk
01803 867373
01803 867373wayswithwords.co.uk