[This is just a holding page to give you a little information about this not at all little project. The proper website will be coming soon. In the meantime if you want to get involved in the region's burgeoning literary scene, visit the Cyprus Well site.]

We are creating maps featuring information about Devon and its writers, old and new. Words as prose, poem, fiction, non-fiction; historic, fanciful, humorous, frightening –– we want to map the full range of known and hidden talent Devon can offer. This is a project of partners Aune Head Arts, Devon Libraries, The University of Exeter, and Cyprus Well, and is being managed by Aune Head Arts. The Creative Producer for the project is Sadie Green who can be contacted at wordquest@auneheadarts.org.uk.

We will start to gather material in earnest in September 2010, once we have had a chance to get organised. The project will create a set of journeys linked to literary themes and living writers across Devon, set out in a series of maps.  This will include a printed trail map, identifying sites to seek out across the county. The maps will contain many different kinds of trail points –– a podcast, a pointer to a workshop or other writing challenge, a set of instructions to begin your own writing about a place, a book to read.

Although Devon’s literary heritage is central to the project, wordquest Devon offers so much more than just a formal heritage trail: living writers and the encouragement of new writing are also of key importance.  This website is just a very tiny beginning. Lots more will be coming soon...

A little trailer...

Current Opportunities

We will soon be organising an invitation to submit your images and words for our bookmark series, the second of which will shortly be distributed across Devon in Libraries, TICs and other public venues.

If you'd like to become involved, please click here to add your information to the project database. Your information will be kept safe and will only be used for the project, and the list is growing every day!

What will happen?

There are two phases to the project.  In Phase 1 we will:

• scope and design a map, creating a literary trail across Devon, linking numerous cycling and walking trails
• print and distribute 50,000 copies of the map
• facilitate new writing with young people across Devon, publishing some of it on the website
• create between 30 and 40 podcasts, centred around a literary theme and using either a piece of existing writing or a new, commissioned piece of writing
• commission or facilitate 16-20 pieces of new writing, for a variety of media
• record at least 60 readings of work using a variety of professional and non-professional voices

In Phase 2 we will:

• hold writing/reading workshops in libraries, the University and schools across Devon
• hold special events and readings at a variety of outdoor locations across Devon
• create an active online writing community, using Facebook™ and a dedicated website and highlight what people are writing on Twitter™ about reading and writing in Devon
• use the published map as the catalyst for new creative activity and encourage people to use it on their own
• create an iPhone™ app so that people can download the map podcasts as they walk/cycle (these will also be downloadable from the website)
• facilitate at least 300 pieces of new writing, some of which will be published on our website
• plan for the longer-term legacy for the project

Who is behind the project?

The lead partners on the project are Devon Libraries (Devon County Council), the University of Exeter, Cyprus Well, and Aune Head Arts.  Other partners include the North Devon Biosphere Reserve and The National Trust (and, we're sure, many others!).

thanks to our project funders:

The project is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad

executive group access || project team access

page last updated 15-Jul-2010 19:12
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