Tours of the Westcountry Studies Library

The Westcountry Studies Library holds the largest collection of books, periodicals, illustrations, maps, newspapers and general information on the Southwest in Devon.

Here is a unique chance to see behind the scenes of the library and catch a glimpse of this amazing collection. Visit the places that the public do not normally go. Be amazed at the book bound in human skin, Napoleon’s death mask, and see some of the unusual items from this extensive collection of local material.

Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Thursday 31st May 10:30am and 2:30pm

To book please email wordquest@auneheadarts.org.uk

Poetry open-mic at Tagore Festival

Saturday 7 April
5.00pm, Ship Studio, Dartington

“Timid thoughts, do not be afraid of me. I am a poet.” – Tagore

Join Wordquest for an informal poetry open-mic session in the Ship Studio. If you have a poem you’d like to share please contact wordquest@auneheadarts.org.uk for further details and to sign-up for a slot. There are a limited no. of performance slots available, and any not booked in advance will be made available for people to sign up for on the day.

Anyone wishing to just come along and watch is very welcome, and entry is FREE. Please note this venue does have a limited capacity, and entry will be on a first come first seated basis.

More about the Tagore Festival here

Open Day at the Devon Record Office, Exeter

On Saturday 17th March, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Devon Heritage Services, in association with the Friends of Devon’s Archives and Wordquest, hosted an Open Day at the Devon Record Office, Great Moor House, Sowton, Exeter.  The day was designed to launch the restructured service and also to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the Devon Record Office, which was founded in March 1952.

Representatives of many of the county’s societies were in attendance, including the Devonshire Association, the Devon History Society, the Devon Family History Society, and the Devon Gardens Trust, in addition to staff from the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office and the North Devon Record Office.

Members of the Devon Family History Society were also available to offer advice on family history research.

There were guided tours of the different sections of the record office, including several of the strongrooms, where documents were on display.  Visitors will also had the opportunity to visit the Conservation Studio and receive advice on the preservation of documents.

We celebrated the 200th Birthday of Charles Dickens at Kingsbridge and Exeter Central Libraries

A famous author nears the end of his life. One afternoon , as he works on his final novel, memories of his past creations come upon him. He lays aside his pen, and, in the manner of one remembering old friends, begins to share his memories with us: alternately musing on his background and conjuring up characters from his works.

So begins a wonderful, atmospheric one-man show. As it illustrates the lives of his characters, so it comes to illuminate that of Charles Dickens (‘The Squire of Gadshill’) himself.

Devon and Exeter in particular has several links to Dickens including a visit to the Exeter Royal Public Rooms in 1858 after which he wrote:

"We had the most wonderful night in Exeter. It is to be regretted that we cannot take the place again on our way back. It was a prodigious cram and we turned away no end of people. But not only that; I think they were the finest audience I have ever read to."

Wordquest Poetry Competition

From November to January, Wordquest ran a Devon wide poetry competition for young people.

Young peoplewre invited to to write a poem about their favourite place in Devon, from their garden to their attic, to the wild moors or sandy beaches. 

The age categories were : 5-7 years / 8-10 years / 11-13 years / 14-16 years

Winners will be announced shortly and all prize winners will be invited to read their work on Wordquest Devon’s Radio Programme on Soundart Radio – 102.5fm and also have their poems published on the Wordquest Devon and Devon Libaries Websites.

John Keats and Teignmouth: Landscape and Uses of the Past

This lecture was part of the University of Exeter lecture series for Wordquest Devon, supported by the Teign Heritage Centre

When the poet John Keats moved to Teignmouth, the rain fell in sheets and heavy mists rolled in from the sea.  In a March 1818 letter to a friend, he describes Devon as ‘a splashy, rainy, misty, snowy, foggy, haily, floody, muddy, slipshod county.’ This weather coincided with creative frustrations and fears about tuberculosis and death. Still, Keats produced some surprisingly idealized, bucolic poetry about the Devon landscape, its history and its people. Where does this nostalgic ‘poetry of place’ fit in Keats’ canon? 

Why was the time spent in Teignmouth followed by a watershed year in his life and career, in which he produced such great poems as The Eve of St. Agnes, the Odes, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Lamia?

In this lecture, Dr Corinna Wagner, Lecturer in Romanticism and Gothic Literature at the University of Exeter will ask these questions and show images of the places that may have inspired Keats.

Free Creative Writing Workshops - A Short History of the Future of Dartmoor

Dartmoor’s stunning landscape, inspiring history and fascinating present provided the backdrop to our imaginative exploration of its future.

Starting with a discussion of today’s plans for the National Park, then transported to 2084, where we will heard from a future representative of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, who presented a short history of how those plans worked out. Then, participants worked together and separately to create their own stories set in that imagined future.

Download more information here

STORYTRAIL began on 24 July 2011 at The Tors Inn, Belstone (despite the rather rotten weather which made things hard to find!)

Letterboxing Links with Storytelling on Dartmoor

Using the concepts behind Dartmoor Letterboxing, five boxes were hidden along a circular route starting and finishing in Belstone Village.  Each box held a book containing a story in progress –– after finding a box, participants were asked to add a sentence to the story in the manner of 'chain stories'.  Project artist Charlie Henry explains:  "In keeping with Wordquest Devon's links to the Cultural Olympiad, the Dartmoor Storytrail borrows from the concept of relay-race running and turns it into a relay-race of literary imagination."

This participatory 'build a story' activity allowed chance encounters and collaboration combining a variety of voices in the development of new Dartmoor stories.  According to Charlie:  "I want the concept to leave space for people’s ideas to collide and cross-fertilize and, hopefully, brew a few brilliant new stories for all to enjoy!"  Participants were challenged to find and add to the evolving story in each book.

The boxes remained in place on Dartmoor to be discovered, added to and replaced in their hiding spots until the closing event on Saturday 24th, September. Go here for more information

TOMBOLA! at the Ways with Words Festival: a special event by artist Paula Crutchlow. 12 July 2011
The tombola contained either PRIZES or TASKS. If you won a prize, you won one of a number of prizes donated by writers from across Devon (thanks folks!); but if you won a TASK you had to go off and perform your task (eg "Sit in the White Hart Bar and listen in on a literary conversation. Come back to the marquee and report back."). Great fun was had by all, and although all the tasks were given out, not all the prizes were (hmmm, rigged tombola???).

More info here and pictures here.

STORYSEAT. A come-one-come-all readings event,part of the Exeter Fringe Festival, held at Boston Tea Party. June 30 2011

Wordquest FLASHMOB Launch Event - Exeter Fringe Festival by artist Charlie Henry (with Megan Hoggins) 25 June 2011
Exeter Cathedral Green
Fancy dancing with flying books, led by a 'librarian', while reading out bits of prose and poetry written about Devon?  At 11:00am on Saturday, June 25, gather on Exeter Cathedral Green at the Wordquest Devon marquee (near the War Memorial and Processional Steps) to dance with words and get involved at the start of fifteen months of walks, writings, readings –– a hodgepodge of creative events and activities celebrating the richness of Devon's inspiration of the writers of the past and those of the present!

Plath in Devon: a lecture by Prof. Tim Kendall at The University of Exeter. June 1 2011

The American poet and novelist Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) moved to North Tawton in Devon with her husband Ted Hughes during September 1961. There she wrote most of the poems which were published posthumously in her best-known volume.

Writing Workshop with Clare George (resident writer at The University of Exeter) Lynton Village Hall. 26 May 2011.