Download - Ways With Words 2016 Brochure
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Dartington has long been one of Britain¹s most prestigious festivals – two weeks in which distinguished speakers combine with lively and knowledgable audiences in a celebration of reading and writing and the examination of (often controversial) ideas.
Now, after twenty five years of success, Dartington has become a literary institution. But year after year it comesup with a new and exciting programme which – added to the festival¹s beautiful venue – makes Dartington one of the highlights of my summer.
I look forward to seeing you.
President’s Introduction
It is impossible to believe that we have been organising a book-based festival for 25 years at Dartington. When we started we thought that we’d probably last one year but such was the curiosity and appetite of the audiences for words and ideas that we carried on – and on – and on.
It is thanks to your commitment to the festival that we have continued for so long. (To find out more about how Ways With Words started and develops come to our ‘Chosen Songs’ on the last night of the festival – Sunday 17 July at 7.30pm.)
Be silver, be happy, be grateful – we are!
WELCOME.
Kay Dunbar, Stephen BristowChloë and Videl Bar-KarFestival Directors
Roy HattersleyFestival President
Welcome to our 25th Ways With Words
www.facebook.com/wayswithwords
@ways_with_words #www16
Friday 8 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £24 (not including event 4)
Roy HattersleyThe Future for Socialism
Lord Hattersley was a socialist
from his youth. He was a councillor
at the age of 23, an MP at 31, and
a minister by the age of 33 who
became deputy leader of the Labour
Party. Hattersley was long regarded
as being on the right of the party,
but with New Labour in power he
found himself on the left claiming
that “Blair’s Labour Party is not the
Labour Party I joined”. Who better
to address this topic?
Melvyn BraggThe Powerful and the Powerless of the Peasants’ Revolt
Lord Bragg’s latest novel ‘Now is
the Time’ is set in 1381 at the time
of The Peasants’ Revolt, the biggest
rebellion in English History. The
novel is a powerful re-telling of this
extraordinary episode and captures
all the drama, passion, patriotism and
anger of that time.
12pm
Great Hall
£10
23.30pm
Great Hall
£10
Joan BakewellDefying Time
Joan Bakewell looks back at the time
in which she grew up – from being
taught domestic skills, to the wider
lessons learnt through politics, lovers
and betrayal. She considers how the
world has changed and the people
and values she will be leaving behind.
Mark WatsonI’m Not Here
A seemingly minor problem at an
airport is the starting point for a
spiralling examination of identity in
the digital age.
Be prepared for a torrent of jokes,
Watson’s customary flailing about,
chaotic audience interaction and
general mayhem. If you enjoy
comedy but ignore this show you’re
acting very oddly.
‘Terrifyingly funny’ (The Times)
‘Belly laugh brilliant...the audience was
weeping with laughter’ (Time Out)
35pm
Great Hall
£10
48 - 10pm
(inc interval)
Great Hall
£16
(14+
may contain
adult
language)
Roy Hattersley Melvyn Bragg Joan Bakewell Mark Watson
sponsored by
Saturday 9 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 9)
Mark Watson Joseph Stiglitz Roy HattersleyJoan Bakewell
Mark Watson Telling Stories
Award-winning comedian, sports
pundit and author, Mark Watson
divides his time between stand-up
work and writing novels. His latest
publication explores where the truth
really lies in a world that blurs the
boundaries between fantasy and
reality.
Joan Bakewell, Roy Hattersley and Joseph StiglitzThe Next 25 Years in Politics
Join three of the most eminent
political pundits for this lively
discussion on the what, why and
wherefore of politics today.
Joan Bakewell is a journalist,
television presenter and Labour
Party Peer. Roy Hattersley
is a Labour politician, author and
journalist. Joseph Stiglitz is an
American economist and a professor
at Columbia University. He is a
recipient of the Nobel Memorial
Prize in Economic Sciences.
5 10am
Great Hall
£10
611.45am
Great Hall
£10
25th Anniversary, Word CircusA performance space offering a programme of
short, snappy, unticketed, FREE fringe events in the
Upper Gatehouse. The events in Word Circus will
be advertised via a notice board outside the venue.
25th Anniversary, Word SchoolA series of writing workshops to facilitate those
who want to improve or to make a start at
writing. They will cover a range of genres. This
programme includes full details of dates, times,
tutors, costs.
Things to look out for at the 25th festival
KEEP LOOKING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
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Saturday 9 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 9)
Michael Billington Phillipe SandsSunil Khilnani
Sunil Khilnani Understanding India
BBC Radio 4 presenter Sunil Khilnani
has travelled extensively across India
visiting Bollywood studios, ayurvedic
call centres and slum temples.
He explores the lives of Indian
emperors, philosophers, poets, stars
and corporate titans and charts how
they continue to shape the nation.
Michael BillingtonWhat Makes a Great Play?
Michael Billington, Britain’s longest-
serving theatre critic, shares his
personal selection of great plays
ranging from Greek drama to the
present-day. After a lifetime spent
watching theatre he unveils his list
and explores his inclusions as well as
his omissions.
Philippe SandsGenerational Scars of Genocide
The final day of the Nuremberg trial
of Hitler’s personal lawyer, Hans
Frank, revealed that he may have
been responsible for the murder
of the entire families of the two
prosecutors, Hersch Lauterpacht and
Rafael Lemkin. Human rights lawyer
Philippe Sands QC explores their
interconnected stories.
8pm, Great Hall
The documentary film, “My Nazi
Legacy: What Our Fathers Did”,
follows Philippe as he travels
with Niklas Frank and Horst von
Wachter, the septuagenarian sons of
Nazi leaders. The film explores their
opposing views on the legacy of their
fathers’ actions.
(Running time, 96 mins – Cert. PG)
71.30pm
Great Hall
£10
83.15pm
Great Hall
£10
95.30pm -
6.30pm
Great Hall
£15
(to include
the film at
8pm)sponsored by
BAILLIE GIFFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP
Your call may be recorded for training or monitoring purposes. Baillie Gifford Savings Management Limited (BGSM) produces Trust magazine and is an affiliate of Baillie Gifford & Co Limited, which is the manager and secretary of seven investment trusts.
WE LOVE GREAT WORK THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME.Baillie Gifford is delighted to continue to sponsor some of the most renowned literary festivals throughout the UK. We believe that, much like a classic piece of literature, a great investment philosophy will stand the test of time.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK’s largest independent investment trust managers. In our daily work in investments we do our very best to emulate the imagination, insight and intelligence that successful writers bring to the creative process.
In our own way we’re publishers too. Our free, award-winning Trust magazine provides you with an engaging and insightful overview of the investment world, along with details of our literary festival activity throughout the UK.
To find out more or to take out a free subscription for Trust magazine, please call us on 0800 280 2820 or visit us at www.bailliegifford.com/sponsorship Long-term investment partners
AT BAILLIE GIFFORD WE BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF GREAT LITERATURE AND IN LONG-STANDING SUCCESS STORIES.
Saturday 9 July – Barn – Reporting Back
Day Ticket: £40
Christina Lamb Rod Norland
Anya SchiffrinInvestigative Journalists
Anya Schiffrin’s latest book, ‘Global
Muckraking’, is about the power of
investigative journalism and describes
some of the reporters who have
exposed problems in developing
countries over the last 150 years.
Rod Nordland Love Story
As correspondent for the New York
Times, Rod Nordland encountered a
young Afghan couple from different
ethnic sects struggling to stay
together despite the danger of death
that their union posed. He tells
this Romeo and Juliet-esque story
against the backdrop of the horrific
practices to which Afghan women
are subjected.
Ben RawlenceInside Dadaab – the World’s Largest Refugee Camp
To charity workers Dadaab is a
humanitarian crisis; to the Kenyan
government it’s a nursery for
terrorists; but to its half a million
residents it’s their last resort.
Former Human Rights Watch
researcher, Ben Rawlence, who has
spent a considerable time in the
camp, tells astonishing stories.
Christina LambLeaving Kabul
Leading foreign correspondent
Christina Lamb reflects on Afghanistan
– a fierce country of pomegranates
and war – and one she loves and has
reported from for thirty years. She
discusses the human cost of political
failure and how the prosecution of ill-
thought-out wars has led to the spread
of terrorism.
Troubles SeenA Performance by Sian WebberScript by Jack Klaff
Martha Gellhorn wrote unmatched
despatches about the major stories
of the 20th century, always siding
with the ordinary folk, railing against
governments and the powerful. Her
lovers included Ernest Hemingway,
but laughter with friends was what she
loved best. Enjoy an evening of whisky,
cigarettes, name-dropping, wit, rage
and dreadful cooking.
Martha Gellhorn’s words used by kind
permission of The Martha Gellhorn Estate.
1010am
Barn
£10
1111.45am
Barn
£10
121.30pm
Barn
£10
133.15pm
Barn
£10
145.15pm
Barn
£10
BAILLIE GIFFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP
Your call may be recorded for training or monitoring purposes. Baillie Gifford Savings Management Limited (BGSM) produces Trust magazine and is an affiliate of Baillie Gifford & Co Limited, which is the manager and secretary of seven investment trusts.
WE LOVE GREAT WORK THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME.Baillie Gifford is delighted to continue to sponsor some of the most renowned literary festivals throughout the UK. We believe that, much like a classic piece of literature, a great investment philosophy will stand the test of time.
Baillie Gifford is one of the UK’s largest independent investment trust managers. In our daily work in investments we do our very best to emulate the imagination, insight and intelligence that successful writers bring to the creative process.
In our own way we’re publishers too. Our free, award-winning Trust magazine provides you with an engaging and insightful overview of the investment world, along with details of our literary festival activity throughout the UK.
To find out more or to take out a free subscription for Trust magazine, please call us on 0800 280 2820 or visit us at www.bailliegifford.com/sponsorship Long-term investment partners
AT BAILLIE GIFFORD WE BELIEVE IN THE VALUE OF GREAT LITERATURE AND IN LONG-STANDING SUCCESS STORIES.
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 19)
Sunday 10 July – Great Hall
A.C. Grayling Helen Dunmore John Dermot Turing
A.C. GraylingProgress in Troubled Times: Learning from “The Age of Genius”
The 17th century was witness to
a scientific revolution – from the
alchemy and astrology of John Dee
to the scientific observation and
astronomy of Galileo. Professor
A.C. Grayling (of New College of
the Humanities) charts the birth of
the modern mind and considers how
traditional ways of thinking lingered
amongst the luminaries of the period.
Helen DunmoreSecrets and Spies
Bestselling author and Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature Helen
Dunmore discusses forbidden love,
cover-ups, spying, and betrayal during
the Cold War era in 1960s Britain.
In her fourteenth novel she explores
the devastation that the uncovering
of long-held secrets can bring.
John Dermot TuringDecoding Alan Turing
While working at Bletchley Park,
code breaker and pioneering
computer scientist Alan Turing
invented the machine that cracked
the Enigma Code. He is now widely
regarded as a British war hero
mistreated by an unappreciative
country. His nephew, Sir John
Dermot Turing, takes a fresh look at
Alan Turing’s life, innovation and the
creation of a legend.
Oliver James Nature Versus Nurture
Are parents responsible for the
course their children’s lives take,
or do genes mean individuals have
a pre-determined personality?
Psychologist Oliver James explores
the idea of nature versus nurture.
15 11am
Great Hall
£10
1612.45pm
Great Hall
£10
172.30pm
Great Hall
£10
(or £15 to
include the
film - event
no. 24)
184.15pm
Great Hall
£10
sponsored by
Sunday 10 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 19)
Oliver James
Matt Harvey
Matt HarveyQWERTY Something
Poet, lyricist, Resurgence columnist,
Matt Harvey’s way with words
has taken him from Totnes to the
Wimbledon Tennis Championships
via Saturday Live, the Edinburgh
Festival and the Work section of
the Guardian. He brings new poems
about animals, vegetables, hands
and sperm banks and speaks of
the pressures and pains of writing
to order. All interspersed with
illustrations by Claudia Schmid from
his new book, working title, ‘Oh Dog’.
198pm
Great Hall
£10
Sunday 10 July – Barn – Inner Selves
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 24)
Julia Shaw Decca Aitkenhead
Julia ShawRemembering and Forgetting
Forensic psychologist and memory
expert Dr Julia Shaw explores
the centrality of memory to our
existence and the ways in which
it can go awry – from the puzzling
occurrence of not being able to
recall a name you’ve used hundreds
of times, to more extreme examples
such as people with false memories
of committing a violent crime.
Decca Aitkenhead Love and Loss
Guardian journalist and author,
Decca Aitkenhead’s new memoir
reflects deeply on her relationship
with her partner Tony who drowned
while saving their son during a
holiday in Jamaica. Exploring race,
privilege and prejudice, Decca will
tell her remarkable story of love and
sudden loss.
Charles Fernyhough How We Talk to Ourselves
What we call ‘thinking’ is a kind of
conversation with the multiple voices
of our consciousness. Professor of
Psychology at Durham University
Charles Fernyhough suggests
this inner speech could have an
importance far beyond our previous
perception.
Polly Morland Transformations
What would you choose to change
about your life and how could you
make it happen? Polly Morland
unravels the mysteries and the
mechanisms of human change, how
and why people change, and how the
imagination can become the engine
of metamorphosis.
FILM: The Imitation Game During World War II, mathematician
Alan Turing tries to crack the
Enigma Code with help from fellow
mathematicians.
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch,
Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode
(Running Time: 112 mins. Cert 12)
20 10am
Barn
£10
2111.45am
Barn
£10
221.30pm
Barn
£10
233pm
Barn
£10
244.30pm
Barn
£7
(or £15
to include
event no.17
at 2.30pm
in the
Great Hall)
Sunday 10 July – Dukes Room
Richard RyderSophie Pierce and Matt Newbury
Andy ChristianA History of Pottery in Twenty Five Objects
To celebrate 25 years of Ways With
Words Andy Christian explores a
collection of 25 objects. This eclectic
tour de force of ceramic history
ranges from an 8000 BCE Venus
to a Picasso bowl and the work of
20th century Dartington ceramicists.
The audience will be encouraged to
handle each example.
Sophie Pierce and Matt NewburyWalks and Water
Aquatic adventurers Sophie Pierce
and Matt Newbury share the stories
and secrets of some of Devon’s best
wild swimming spots, from Sharrah
Pool, where the ‘Cry of the Dart’
may be heard, to the ruined coastal
village of Hallsands.
Richard RyderPsychobiographies
The lives of twenty celebrities
(including Charles Dickens, Jane
Austen, Margaret Thatcher) have
been analysed by the eminent
psychologist, Dr. Richard Ryder. He
explores their motives and their sex
lives and raises many questions about
their achievements.
Trade WindsTrade Winds is a long established
seeding ground for poets, singer-
songwriters and storytellers, new
and experienced. Turn up at the start
with a short performance piece to
get a spot in the show.
All welcome.
Susan Taylor, Simon Williamsand Simon BarronWell Met – Poems and Songs of Sea and Shore
Well Met indeed: these three have
been busy beachcombing their
way around the South West to
bring ocean-inspired ballads and
windswept, seascape stanzas to add
some sea salt into the Dart Valley air.
Taylor and Williams each have six
published collections of poetry.
Barron has appeared at many major
UK festivals. He is a guitar virtuoso,
with a ballistic finger style that suits
his songs of land and sea.
25 11am
Dukes
Room
£6
2612.30pm
Dukes
Room
£6
272.30pm
Dukes
Room
£6
5pm
Dukes
Room
Free
(no ticket
required)
6.30pm
Dukes
Room
Free
(no ticket
required)
252525
25
25
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 32)
Monday 11 July – Great Hall
Juliet Barker Chris Rapley Max Porter
Juliet BarkerDemolishing the Myth of the Brontës
The story of the Brontës is well
documented as a doomed family
of genius. Biographer and historian
Juliet Barker sheds new light on
this literary family, challenges some
commonly held misconceptions and
shares her first-hand research from
Brontë manuscripts and historical
documents previously overlooked.
Chris RapleyThe Changing Climate
In 2015 the world’s nations met
to determine a course of action to
respond to climate change. Chris
Rapley, one of the most distinguished
climate scientists, has written
‘2071, The World We’ll Leave Our
Grandchildren’. ‘2071’ started off as a
sell-out play at the Royal Court. The
Times wrote: “If you’re in any doubt
that climate change is the most
urgent issue of the century, I urge
you to see this theatrical lecture.”
Max Porter A Portrait of Grief and Recovery
Max Porter’s first novel has been
met with widespread critical acclaim
and flits between the weighty idea of
grief and loss as he charts the lives of
a father and his sons and how they
face life without their most beloved
mother and wife. He discusses his
creative processes and the influence
of Ted Hughes on his work.
Ben WilsonThe Shaping of the Modern World
Historian Ben Wilson explores the
1850s – a decade of explosive energy
and dizzying change as the world was
reshaped by technology, trade, mass
migration and war. It was a period
that was fundamental, not only in
in the making of Britain, but of the
modern world.
28 10am
Great Hall
£10
2911.45am
Great Hall
£10
302.30pm
Great Hall
£10
314.15pm
Great Hall
£10
Ben Wilson
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 32)
Monday 11 July – Great Hall
S C HWORD O L
Christopher NorthA Journey into the Travel Journal
A workshop exploring the
travel journal: World Cruise,
weekend away or crossing your
bedroom. This two session
workshop will open up exciting
techniques to enliven your
writing with exercises, field
work and a look at developing
the journal further into other
creative writing areas such as
poetry, fiction, reportage, blogs
FE19.30am -
11.30am,
2pm - 4pm
Dukes Room
£25
George Monbiot
George Monbiot How Did We Get Into This Mess?
What is the dominant ideology
that has penetrated so far into our
lives that we can no longer see it?
Environmentalist, political activist and
Guardian columnist George Monbiot
unmasks it, explains it, and suggests
how it might best be confronted.
327pm -
8.30pm
Great Hall
£10
– not forgetting the creation
of a lasting document of your
journey as a pleasure in itself.
Offi cial festival bookseller
We look forward to welcoming you to our festival shop for
a range of titles by the guest authors, and opportunities to
have your books signed.
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Day Ticket: £40
Monday 11 July – Barn – The Science of Mind and Body
Laura DawesA Quiet Victory
Wartime medical experts predicted
epidemics on the home front; that
rationing would decimate the nation’s
health; and air raid shelters would
spread diseases. Yet Britain emerged
from the Second World War in better
health than ever before. Medical
historian Laura Dawes tells the story
of pioneering individuals who battled
to keep the nation fit in wartime and
paved the way for the birth of the NHS.
Dean BurnettWhat Is Your Head Really Up To?
Guardian ‘Brain Flapping’ science
blogger Dean Burnett examines
why and how the brain sabotages
our behaviour. From attention
mechanisms to memory processing,
the neuroscience of sleep and the
psychology of superstition, Burnett
reveals ways in which the brain is
flawed and how these flaws impact
upon our lives (and how it’s OK to
laugh about it).
Ian Robertson The Sweet Spot
Neuroscientist Ian Robertson
discusses how and why our brains
react to stress in the way they do.
Why do some people function more
effectively when forced into difficult
situations, while others fall apart?
And can the right level of stress help
people to flourish and achieve more
than they thought possible?
Andrew Lees The William Burroughs Experiment
Professor of Neurology at the
National Hospital, London, Andrew
Lees is highly regarded in the field
of research into Parkinson’s disease.
He explains how William Burroughs,
troubled drug addict and author of
Naked Lunch, played an unlikely part
in his medical career.
Fay Bound Alberti Modern Bodies
Demolishing the idea of the body
as an unchanging constant in a
changing world, Fay Bound Alberti
tells a cultural story of the human
body. How the way we move, feel,
breathe and engage with the world
has differed radically over time. She
takes the body apart to put it back
together from the inside out.
33 10am
Barn
£10
3411.45am
Barn
£10
351.30pm
Barn
£10
363.15pm
Barn
£10
375pm
Barn
£10
Ian Robertson Fay Bound Alberti
Day Ticket: £40
Tuesday 12 July – Barn – Ways of Seeing
Tony Garnett Michael Bird
Tony GarnettMy Life’s Work
From his roots in working class
Birmingham to producing radical
BBC dramas of the 1960s and 70s
including ‘Cathy Come Home’ and
‘Up the Junction’, Tony Garnett’s
influence on TV drama is enduring.
He discusses his groundbreaking
work in television, the ‘painful’
process of writing his memoir and
what makes him angry.
Chris WadsworthBehind the Scenes of the Gallery
Chris Wadsworth, a born storyteller,
draws from her 25 years running
a gallery to tell stories about great
artists, eccentric clients and her
travels around the world. Hear
about: the Knob man, the reluctant
Exhibitionist and the enforced
purchase of Magic Knickers – all part
of ‘The Life Class’, her latest book.
Richard Lappas talks to his editor Jane BlanchardMore By Luck Than Judgement
Fleet Street photographer Richard
Lappas has been covering major
news stories, capturing celebrities
and politicians on camera for 40
years. His book reveals fascinating
and often hilarious stories behind
pictures that have themselves made
front page news.
38 10am
Barn
£10
3911.45am
Barn
£10
401.30pm
Barn
£10
Michael Bird St Ives Modernists
Between the Second World War and
the 1970s, many progressive artists
chose to come to the far west of
Cornwall. Michael Bird investigates
how St Ives became a post-war hub
of international modernism and why
modernist abstract art came to be so
important to Frost, Heron and their
contemporaries in this small Cornish
town at that particular time.
Katy NorrisChristopher Wood
Curator of Pallant House Gallery,
Katy Norris brings a fresh
perspective to the short life and
remarkable work of English painter
Christopher Wood (1901-30).
Wood drew upon many influences
in the development of his faux-
naïve style including the Parisian
avant-garde and the simpler life he
encountered in Cornwall, Cumbria
and Brittany.
413.15pm
Barn
£10
425pm
Barn
£10
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 48)
Tuesday 12 July – Great Hall
David Crystal Fay Weldon Alice Roberts
Diana DarkeInside Syria
In 2005 Diana Darke, Middle-East
specialist, bought a crumbling
Ottoman house in the old city
of Damascus. Later it became a
sanctuary to friends until it was
stolen from her by war profiteers;
so she returned to retake it. Diana
Darke offers an inside view of Syria –
its culture and complex religious and
ethnic communities – and presents a
picture of the realities of living there.
David Crystal Original Shakespeare
The movement to present the
plays of Shakespeare using ‘original
pronunciation’ has grown in the past
ten years. Linguist David Crystal
describes the history, illustrates the
accent, explains how we know, and
discusses future trends.
Fay Weldon The Spoils of War
Author, essayist and playwright,
Fay Weldon has been writing about
the war between the sexes for five
decades. She discusses her latest
tale of love and death in interwar
London; and how international
tensions mirror family dysfunction in
a city brimming with change.
Alice RobertsThe Lost Stories of the Celts
Unlike the Romans the Celts did
not write their own history, so the
stories of many heroic Celtic men
and women have been lost. Following
the popular BBC series Professor
Alice Roberts reveals the remarkable
story of the Celts: their origins,
how they lived and thrived and their
enduring legacy.
43 10am
Great Hall
£10
4411.45am
Great Hall
£10
451.30pm
Great Hall
£10
463.15pm
Great Hall
£10
Diana Darke
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 48)
S C HWORD O L
Tuesday 12 July – Great Hall
Debbie WarneMemoir Writing About Your Kith and Kin
Bring your black sheep, illicit
loves, heroes and heroines
and even the odd skeleton
to these two workshops.
While the tradition of
sitting around the fire or
the kitchen table telling
stories of our ancestors has
all but disappeared, Debbie
Warne promotes the idea
that no one is more eligible
than kith and kin to write
about their own bloodline,
arriving, as it will, from the
heart.
FE29.30am -
11.30am,
2pm - 4pm
Dukes Room
£25
Jill Dawson Diarmaid MacCulloch
Jill Dawson The Royal Literary Fund Lecture – Faction
Many of Jill Dawson’s nine past novels
have their origins in real events or real
people. Her latest, ‘The Crime Writer’,
is about the novelist Patricia Highsmith.
Another writer who inspired her is
the poet Rupert Brooke. Other novels
draw upon notable events. Today she
talks about how fact inspires her fiction.
The Royal Literary Fund was set up in 1790 to help professional authors. Past beneficiaries have included Coleridge, DH Lawrence and Dylan Thomas. Last year it helped 200 writers, though not all of them are quite so famous - yet.
Diarmaid MacCullochThe Soul of the ChurchDiarmaid MacCulloch explores the
turbulent 16th century, the evolution of
the English Prayer Book and Bible, the
impact of the Reformation on Catholicism
and re-examines some of the major
players: Henry VIII, William Byrd, John
Calvin and Richard Hooker.
475pm
Great Hall
£10
488pm
Great Hall
£10
www.rlf.org.uk
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25
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Wednesday 13 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 54)
Raymond Tallis Ken LivingstoneA.L. Kennedy Jonathan Dimbleby
Raymond Tallis God, Free Will and the NHS
In his latest collection of essays,
physician and humanist philosopher
Raymond Tallis meditates on the
complexity of human consciousness,
free will, mathematics, God and
eternity – until his thoughts are
interrupted by discovering Tory
barbarians destroying the NHS,
tearing apart the welfare state, and
turning England into an undeveloping
country.
A.L. Kennedy Novel of our Times
Prize-winning author, fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature, stand-up
comic and essayist, A.L. Kennedy has
written 17 books to date: novels,
short stories, non-fiction, science
fiction. She discusses her latest
creation and the craft of writing.
Ken Livingstone How Should the Left Govern?
In the light of the recent grassroots
surge of interest in the Labour
Party, former Leader of the GLC
and the first elected London mayor,
Ken Livingstone offers an insider’s
account of the party and reflects on
its future.
Jonathan DimblebyBattle on the High Seas
Political commentator and presenter
of ‘Any Questions’, Jonathan
Dimbleby explores the decisions
that led to victory in the Battle of
the Atlantic through the diaries
and letters of both the Allied and
German leaders and sailors.
49 10am
Great Hall
£10
5011.45am
Great Hall
£10
511.30pm
Great Hall
£10
523.15pm
Great Hall
£10
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 54)
Wednesday 13 July – Great Hall
S C HWORD O L
Anne Sebba Marcus du Sautoy
Katrina NaomiPoetry Writing for All
Gain confidence in both
your reading and writing
of poetry with the help of
award-winning poet, tutor
and poetry mentor Katrina
Naomi. In this workshop,
for new and experienced
poets, learn techniques to
sharpen and strengthen
your poetic voice.
FE32 - 4pm
Dukes Room
£14
Anne SebbaWhy French Women Wore Lipstick
They couldn’t vote, own property
without a man’s consent, or have
a bank account, so what was it like
to be a woman living in Paris under
German occupation? Anna Sebba
gives an insight into the lives of
collaborators and resisters – women
making life-and-death decisions every
day and doing whatever they needed
to survive.
Marcus du Sautoy Not Knowing
Science is giving us unprecedented
insight into the big questions that
have challenged humanity. Where
did we come from? What is the
ultimate destiny of the universe?
Mathematician and media presenter,
Marcus du Sautoy, asks what are the
limits to what we can discover about
our universe?
535pm
Great Hall
£10
548pm
Great Hall
£10
sponsored by
252525
25
25
Wednesday 13 July – Barn – Writing About Writers
Day Ticket: £37
Edward Wilson Lucinda Hawksley
Jeremy LewisDavid Astor – A Believer in Doubt and Hesitation
David Astor’s family were millionaires
and he grew up at Clivedon, a country
house on the Thames. When he took
over the Observer, its circulation
was 360,000. He doubled it in a
decade. Former publisher and editor
of the Oldie, Jeremy Lewis gives an
illuminating account of a good man
and a great editor who helped set up
Amnesty International and was the
first President of Ways With Words.
Edward Wilson-LeeThe Bard in Africa
Shakespeare’s plays were carried into
the lake regions of Africa by Burton
and Stanley; performed in Mombasa
by travelling Indian troupes; read by
boy soldiers in the Sudanese civil
wars. Edward Wilson-Lee relates his
adventures in East Africa in search of
an answer to why Shakespeare should
be so adored – in the most unlikely
of places.
Lucinda HawksleyDickens & Co
Historian Lucinda Hawksley reveals
surprising aspects of her great-great-
great grandfather, Charles Dickens
through his extensive circle of
friends and associates that included
Lord Tennyson, William Makepeace
Thackeray, George Eliot, Wilkie
Collins and Elizabeth Gaskell.
Jill Dawson and Andrew WilsonThe Troubled Life of Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith is the subject of Jill
Dawson’s latest novel and a biography
of Andrew Wilson’s. Together they
discuss what went on in the head of
this extraordinary woman.
4.30pm FILM: Carol
Starring Cate Blanchett, the film
‘Carol’ is based on the novel ‘The
Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith.
‘Carol’ tells the story of a forbidden
love affair between a young
photographer and an older woman
going through a difficult divorce.
(Running time - 118 mins. Cert. 15)
55 10am
Barn
£10
5611.45am
Barn
£10
571.30pm
Barn
£10
583.15pm -
4pm
Barn
£15
(talk
and film)
• ONLINEwww.wayswithwords.co.uk (from 18 May)
• BY PHONETel: 01803 867373
Telephone lines are open from 10am - 5pm,
Monday - Friday.
Please have your event numbers
and your payment card ready before phoning.
We accept Visa and Mastercard.
• BY POSTPlease complete this form and send with cheque
and stamped s.a.e. to:
Ways With Words Festival Box Office,
Droridge Farm, Dartington,
Totnes, Devon TQ9 6JG
Please make cheques payable to
‘Ways With Words’.
• IN PERSONDuring the festival the box office, on-site at
Dartington Hall, will open 30mins. before the first
event of the day and will close after the start of the
last event of the day.
Please note: Before the festival starts the box
office operates off-site and is open for telephone,
postal and online sales only. (See above)
NameAddress
PostcodeTel.E-mail
BOOKING FOR FRIENDSSTARTS WEDNESDAY 11 MAY - max. 2 tickets per event. - for phone and postal bookings only.
GENERAL BOOKING STARTSWEDNESDAY 18 MAY
CONCESSIONS:People aged 24 or under and people on any benefit
related to the forthcoming Universal Credit can buy
tickets normally priced at £10 or less for just £5 if
purchased in person during the festival.
We operate a ‘carers go free’ policy for people in
receipt of Carer’s Allowance.
Proof of entitlement for the above will be required.
DATA PROTECTION: Ways With Words will not pass on your details
to any other organisation.
TERMS & CONDITIONS: The right is reserved to substitute speakers and vary
the advertised programme if necessary.
All information is correct at the time of going to
press.
Please refer to our website (wayswithwords.co.uk) for full details of our policy on cancellations, ticket refunds and exchanges, and on lost tickets.
TICKET SALES
event £ no. total
eg A.N. Author 10 3 30
FRIDAY 8 JULY
1 Roy Hattersley 10
2 Melvyn Bragg 10
3 Joan Bakewell 10
4 Mark Watson (1) 16
GH Day Ticket (1 - 3) 24
SATURDAY 9 JULY
5 Mark Watson (2) 10
6 Bakewell, Hattersley & Stiglitz 10
7 Sunil Khilnani 10
8 Michael Billington 10
9 Philippe Sands + Film 15
GH Day Ticket (5 - 8) 32
10 Anya Schiffrin 10
11 Rod Norland 10
12 Ben Rawlence 10
13 Christina Lamb 10
14 Troubles Seen 10
Barn Day Ticket (10 - 14) 40
SUNDAY 10 JULY
15 A.C. Grayling 10
16 Helen Dunmore 10
17 John Dermot Turing 10
Events 17 & 24 (Talk + Film) 15
18 Oliver James 10
19 Matt Harvey 10
GH Day Ticket (15 - 18) 32
20 Julia Shaw 10
21 Decca Aitkenhead 10
22 Charles Fernyhough 10
23 Polly Morland 10
24 The Imitation Game - Film 10
Barn Day Ticket (20 - 23) 32
25 Andy Christian 6
26 Pierce & Newbury 6
27 Richard Ryder 6
event £ no. total
MONDAY 11 JULY
28 Juliet Barker 10
29 Chris Rapley 10
30 Max Porter 10
31 Ben Wilson 10
32 George Monbiot 10
GH Day Ticket (28 - 31) 32
33 Laura Dawes 10
34 Dean Burnett 10
35 Ian Robertson 10
36 Andrew Lees 10
37 Fay Bound Alberti 10
Barn Day Ticket (33 - 37) 40
TUESDAY 12 JULY
38 Tony Garnett 10
39 Chris Wadsworth 10
40 Lappas & Blanchard 10
41 Michael Bird 10
42 Katy Norris 10
Barn Day Ticket (38 - 42) 40
43 Diana Darke 10
44 David Crystal 10
45 Fay Weldon 10
46 Alice Roberts 10
47 Jill Dawson 10
48 Diarmaid MacCulloch 10
GH Day Ticket (43 - 47) 40
WEDNESDAY 13 JULY
49 Raymond Tallis 10
50 A.L. Kennedy 10
51 Ken Livingstone 10
52 Jonathan Dimbleby 10
53 Anne Sebba 10
54 Marcus du Sautoy 10
GH Day Ticket (49 - 53) 40
55 Jeremy Lewis 10
56 Edward Wilson-Lee 10
57 Lucinda Hawksley 10
58 Dawson & Wilson + Film 15
Barn Day Ticket (55 - 58) 37
event £ no. total
THURSDAY 14 JULY
59 Francis Beckett 10
60 Anthony Loyd 10
61 Shirley Williams 10
62 David Aaronovitch 10
63 Ruchir Sharma 10
64 John Lister-Kaye 10
65 Richard Stokes 10
GH Day Ticket (59 - 63) 40
66 James Macdonald Lockhart 10
67 Tristan Gooley 10
68 Richard Fortey 10
69 Oliver Balch 10
70 Anna Pavord 10
Barn Day Ticket (66 - 70) 40
FRIDAY 15 JULY
71 Pearson & Ward 10
72 Harry Parker 10
73 Rosa Prince 10
74 Daniel Todman 10
75 Andrew Lownie 10
Barn Day Ticket (71 - 75) 40
76 Vince Cable 10
77 Rosie Millard 10
78 Andrew Davies 10
79 Mark Haddon 10
80 Salley Vickers 10
81 Mitch Benn 12.50
GH Day Ticket (76 - 80) 40
SATURDAY 16 JULY
82 Steve Jones 10
83 Franny Moyle 10
84 Norma Percy 10
85 Irving Finkel 10
86 Julian Baggini 10
87 Ben Miller 10
FE5 Dartmoor Skies 3
FE5 Dartmoor Skies (under 16) FREE
GH Day Ticket (82 - 86) 40
88 Chris Bickerton 10
89 Charlotte McDonald-Gibson 10
90 John Gimlette 10
91 Xinran 10
92 Luke Harding 10
Barn Day Ticket (88 - 92) 40
event £ no. total
93 Welcome to Oversteps 6
94 Happy Returns 6
95 Globe-Trotting 6
96 Partners in Poetry 6
Dukes Day Ticket (93 - 96) 12
SUNDAY 17 JULY
97 Shaw, Griffiths & Kingsnorth 10
98 Jonathan Bate 10
99 Laura Thompson 10
100 Satish Kumar 10
101 Dunbar & Bristow 5
GH Day Ticket (97 - 100) 32
102 Miranda Sawyer 10
103 Frances Borzello 10
104 Paula Byrne 10
105 Juliet Nicolson 10
Barn Day Ticket (102 - 105) 32
WORD SCHOOL
FE1 Christopher North 25
FE2 Debbie Warne 25
FE3 Katrina Naomi 14
FE4 Clive Fairweather 12
TICKET TOTAL £
Add Annual Friends’ Membership (£15)*
TOTAL £
* Friends receive, by post, a printed copy of each programme for Ways With Words in Dartington, Cumbria and Southwold.
Rover Tickets and Accommodation Packages
ROVER TICKETSRover tickets give admission to the numbered events
in the programme over a particular period. They
can be bought separately or as part of an inclusive
accommodation package.
‘Festival Extras’, marked ‘FE’ must be purchased
separately.
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 and other, smaller venues.
These are on a first come, first served basis.
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 10-night accommodation
packages (ranging from £915 - £1644 pp) and two
5-night packages (from £524 - £879 pp) in Higher
Close or in the Courtyard at Dartington Hall. We
also offer two 3-night weekend packages (from £340
pp) and a 4-night midweek package (from £478 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 dinner, or lunch and 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 & BREAKFASTBed & Breakfast accommodation is available in
Higher Close (single rooms sharing bathroom
facilities) at £33 pp/pn.
There is a 2-night and 2 tickets per night’s stay
minimum purchase.
10-day Rover ticket (Price: £350)
• admission to all numbered events
(see above)
5-day Rover ticket (Price: £240)
• 1st 5-day Rovers begin with event 1
on Friday 8 July and end at 12.45pm
on Wednesday 13 July.
• 2nd 5-day Rovers begin with the
1.30pm event on Wednesday 13 July
until the end of Sunday 17 July.
• Midweek 5-day Rovers run from
Monday 11 July to Friday 15 July.
Weekend Rover tickets (Price: £155)
• 1st weekend Rovers begin with
event 1 on Friday 8 July and end with
the last event on Sunday 10 July.
• 2nd weekend Rovers begin on
Friday 15 July at 1.30pm until the end
of Sunday 17 July.
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.
Dartington InternationalSummer School& Festival 201630 July – 27 August
www.dartington.org/summer-schoolTel: 01803 847070
@DartingtonArts DartingtonArts
Thursday 14 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 64 or 65)
S C HWORD O L
Francis Beckett Anthony Loyd
Francis BeckettThe Architect of the NHS: A Clem Attlee Biography
In 1945 Labour Prime Minister
Clement Attlee created the NHS and
the Welfare State. Author, journalist
and historian Francis Beckett maps
how Attlee’s Labour government
turned their socialist ideals into
legislation that has changed the
society in which we live.
Anthony LoydThe Adrenaline of Conflict
Two years ago roving Foreign
Correspondent for The Times
Anthony Loyd was kidnapped, beaten
and shot by a rebel gang in Syria.
From his experience of covering
conflicts around the world over 21
years the multi award winning writer
discusses the brutal yet thrilling
reality of life as a war journalist.
Shirley WilliamsPolitics – the UK and the US
After a lifetime of service in politics
the Rt. Hon. Shirley Williams
discusses the UK’s place in the world
and the US elections. She is currently
Professor Emerita of Electoral Politics
at the John F. Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University,
among numerous other activities. We
are very lucky to have this eminent
politician and academic with us.
59 10am
Great Hall
£10
6011.45am
Great Hall
£10
611.30pm
Great Hall
£10
FE42 - 4pm
Dukes
Room
£12
Clive FairweatherA Masterclass on Walter De La Mare:A Slice of Peacock Pie
What is it that makes Walter
De La Mare’s haunted, old-
fashioned verses linger in
the mind? Clive Fairweather,
teacher and storyteller,
explores and celebrates the
ambivalent world of De La
Mare’s imagination and the
influences that shaped it.
Shirley Williams Clive Fairweather
25
25
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 64 or 65)
Thursday 14 July – Great Hall
John Lister-KayeDavid Aaronovitch Ruchir Sharma Richard Stokes
David AaronovitchLife Among the Communists
Journalist, broadcaster and sometime
chair on Radio 4’s Moral Maze
David Aaronovitch was brought
up watching Russian movies and
attending Socialist Sunday School
whilst his peers went to church and
watched American TV. He reflects
on his early life among communists;
his family’s hopes, beliefs and
traditions.
Ruchir Sharma Financial Winners and Losers
A golden era of prosperity ended
with the crisis of 2008. In a world
now racked by slowing growth and
mounting unrest Ruchir Sharma,
Head of the Emerging Markets Equity
team for Morgan Stanley, identifies
ten rules by which we can identify
which nations will thrive and which
will fail.
623.15pm
Great Hall
£10
635pm
Great Hall
£10
646.30pm
Great Hall
£10
658pm
Great Hall
£10
John Lister-KayeMy Wild Life at Aigas
Aigas – where golden eagles drift
overhead and osprey crash into
the loch – was Scotland’s first field
centre. For 40 years it has been
the home of distinguished naturalist
Sir John Lister-Kaye who explains
how birds have been at the heart
of his work and life, and how
they are important indicators of
environmental health and change.
Richard Stokes The Art of Song
What sort of poetry translates well
into song? Professor of Leider at the
Royal Academy of Music Richard
Stokes explores English poetry that
has been set to music – from Jane
Taylor’s ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’
to Henry Francis Lyte’s ‘Abide with
Me’. A must for all who delight in the
fusion of words and music.
Thursday 14 July – Barn – In The Wild
Day Ticket: £40
Richard Fortey Anna Pavord
James Macdonald LockhartBirds of Prey
Of all the birds of the British Isles,
the raptor reigns supreme, sparking
the imagination like no other. James
Macdonald Lockhart relates his
journey in search of raptors from
harriers drifting along the horizon
in Orkney, to buzzards circling over
Dartmoor. He will change how we
think of our skies.
Tristan GooleyReading Water
Natural navigator Tristan Gooley
unlocks the secrets of water.
Drawing on his adventures, from
canoeing in Borneo to wild swimming
in Sussex he reveals the secrets
of ponds, puddles and oceans and
shares skills, tips and observations to
help us understand the lure of water.
Richard ForteyBiography of a Woodland
From his observations of a four-acre
beech and bluebell woodland in
the Chiltern Hills, former senior
palaeontologist at the Natural
History Museum, Richard Fortey
maps a wider story of the changing
British landscape, the human
influence on the countryside over
centuries and interactions between
flora, fauna and fungi.
Oliver Balch Real Life on the Welsh Borders
When Oliver Balch arrived ‘from
off’ to the Welsh Marches he was
in search of a place he could truly
belong; to be a thread in the social
fabric. He gives an honest account
of his family attempting to put down
roots in Hay-on-Wye and assesses
country life in the 21st century.
Anna PavordThe Nature of the British Landscape
As gardening correspondent for
the Independent and chair of the
Gardens Panel for the National Trust
Anna Pavord has journeyed widely
around the UK. She reflects upon
the relationship between earth and
people and the landscape’s potential
to comfort, awe and mesmerise.
66 10am
Barn
£10
6711.45am
Barn
£10
681.30pm
Barn
£10
693.15pm
Barn
£10
705pm
Barn
£10
Friday 15 July – Barn – Who We Are: British Society
Day Ticket: £40
Rosa Prince Harry Parker
Helen PearsonIn Conversation WithDavid WardOrdinary Lives
In 1946 scientists recorded the birth
of almost every British baby born
during one cold week in March and
ever since they have been tracking
these individuals, who turned 70
this year. More studies followed at
12-year intervals. Science journalist
Helen Pearson and David Ward (one
of the babies observed in the study)
reveal what has emerged.
Harry Parker45 Objects
Harry Parker joined the British Army
when he was 23 and served in Iraq
and Afghanistan, where he sustained
life-changing injuries. He discusses
the writing of his debut novel – a
story of patriotism, heroism and
humanism with characters’ stories
told through a series of inanimate
objects.
Rosa PrinceCorbyn – An Accidental Leader
He’s a middle-aged middle-class
former grammar schoolboy who
honed his radicalism on the streets
of rural Shropshire. Yet Jeremy
Corbyn won the leadership of a
party he has rebelled against for 40
years. Political journalist Rosa Prince
presents a portrait of the MP for
Islington North and asks how he
managed to seize the leadership and
breathe new life into socialist ideals.
Daniel Todman A Total War
Bringing a fresh perspective to the
Second World War, historian Daniel
Todman weaves the experience of
the British people with the political
and operational decisions that
governed their fate. He explores
how war was represented at the
time and how people understood
(and misunderstood) what was
happening to them.
Andrew Lownie A Colourful Traitor
Guy Burgess was an upper class
Englishman, Foreign Office expert
on Communism and propaganda
and a Soviet spy. To some he was
a charming companion, to others
a ruthless manipulator. Intelligence
expert Andrew Lownie casts new
light on the life and lies of the
notorious Cambridge Spy.
7110am
Barn
£10
7211.45am
Barn
£10
731.30pm
Barn
£10
743.15pm
Barn
£10
755pm
Barn
£10
sponsored by
Friday 15 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 81)
Vince Cable Rosie Millard Andrew Davies
Vince Cable Balancing the Books
Can Britain rebalance its
economy in an increasingly
uncertain global market while
also raising living standards?
Former Business Secretary
Vince Cable looks at the fallout
from the 2008 global financial
crisis and considers how the
British economy should best be
managed over the next decade
and beyond.
Rosie MillardMiddle Class and Middle Aged
Former BBC Arts
correspondent, journalist and
writer, Rosie Millard discusses
her latest novel ‘The Square’.
Drawing from her experiences
living in an affluent garden
square in North London she
shares tales from dinner parties,
scandalous liasons and reveals
what goes on behind closed
doors.
Andrew DaviesAdapting the Classics
Andrew Davies is a prolific writer of
film scripts, adaptations, screenplays,
novels and books for children. His
work includes adaptations of literary
classics such as Michael Dobb’s
‘House of Cards’, Evelyn Waugh’s
‘Brideshead Revisited’, Charles
Dickens’ ‘Little Dorrit’ (winner of 7
out of its 11 Emmy nominations) and
the recent triumphant adaptation of
Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’. He
talks about the extent and range of
his work.
76 10am
Great Hall
£10
7711.45am
Great Hall
£10
781.30pm
Great Hall
£10
Friday 15 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 81)
Mark Haddon Salley Vickers Mitch Benn
Mark Haddon Short But Not Sweet
Author, illustrator and screenwriter
of works including the massively
successful novel ‘The Curious
Incident Of The Dog In The Night-
Time’ (now a National Theatre
production), Mark Haddon talks
about the process of writing and
his first collection of short stories,
written in a new and darker register.
Salley VickersShakespeare – 400 Years On
What does Shakespeare mean to
us today? What is his influence on
contemporary writers? Salley Vickers
was a university lecturer in English
Literature then became a Jungian
Psychoanalyst. After the success
of her first novel, ‘Miss Garnet’s
Angel’, she began writing full time
and now lectures widely on many
subjects, particularly the connections
between art, literature, psychology
and religion.
Mitch BennDon’t Believe a Word
Mitch Benn is a sceptic. But don’t
take his word for it. Nor ours. Or
indeed anybody’s. For anything . . .
This is the basic premise of Mitch
Benn’s new critically acclaimed
show. It’s a show that will make
you laugh a lot and think a bit as he
debunks myths, exposes nonsense
and grapples with the very nature of
knowledge. He extolls the virtues of
an evidence-based approach to life
. . . with amusing consequences and,
of course, a few songs along the way.
Best known for his appearances on
Radio 4’s ‘The Now Show’, Mitch
Benn has also written two novels.
‘Britain’s leading musical satirist’
(The Times)
793.15pm
Great Hall
£10
805pm
Great Hall
£10
818pm -
10pm
(inc.
interval)
Great Hall
£12.50
Saturday 16 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 87)
Steve Jones Franny Moyle Norma Percy
Steve Jones Paris – A City of Revolution and Science
In the century around the French
Revolution of 1789 Paris was hailed
as the world capital of science with
the invention of the stethoscope,
the first lightning conductor and the
first flight. Geneticist Steve Jones
discusses the scholars who laid
the foundations of today’s physics,
chemistry and biology.
Franny MoyleA Surprising Genius
JMW Turner’s visionary work paved
the way for a revolution in landscape
painting. His own life too embodied
astonishing transformation. Born
the son of a barber, he was buried
in St Paul’s Cathedral. Despite
professional success, his personal
life remained fraught. Franny Moyle
unveils the public and private sides
of one of Britain’s most admired,
misunderstood and celebrated
artists.
Norma Percy Obama’s White House
The BAFTA winning documentary
maker Norma Percy throws new
light onto Barack Obama’s tenure
as the 44th President of the US.
She draws upon behind-the-scenes
glimpses and interviews with the
major players in Obama’s White
House.
Irving Finkel The Oldest Form of Writing
Irving Finkel, from the Department
of the Middle East in the British
Museum, tells of the world’s oldest
and most interesting writing system.
He will demonstrate, with the aid of
stunning images, the extraordinary
ideas, thoughts and messages that
have come down to us on tablets of
clay, written in cuneiform script.
82 10am
Great Hall
£10
8311.45am
Great Hall
£10
841.30pm
Great Hall
£10
853.15pm
Great Hall
£10
Day Ticket: £40 (not including event 87)
Saturday 16 July – Great Hall
Irving Finkel Julian Baggini
Ben Miller
Julian Baggini A Sense of Personal Freedom
Do we have free will? Are we
products of our culture, or free
agents within it? By drawing on
scientific research and encounters
with expert witnesses, artists,
addicts, prisoners and dissidents,
Julian Baggini wrestles with questions
that have puzzled philosophers and
theologians for centuries.
Ben MillerLife Beyond Earth
Are we alone in the universe?
Recently, scientists have made
exciting strides towards answering
that question. Comedian (one half of
comedy double act Armstrong and
Miller) and bestselling science writer
Ben Miller explores the beginnings of
life on Earth and discusses the latest
search for alien intelligence.
Dartmoor SkiesWhat Lies Above? Stargazing with Dartmoor Skies
This is the science lesson we
wish we could have had at
school. Dartmoor Skies
(Bryony and Rob Tilsley)
pitch their telescopes and
take a tour of the universe,
revealing some of the many
gems hidden in the night sky.
Stars, planets, moons, galaxies
and more await.
865pm
Great Hall
£10
878pm
Great Hall
£10
FE59.30pm
Dukes
Room
£3
(under 16
FREE, but
ticketed)
Saturday 16 July – Barn – International Politics
Day Ticket: £40
Luke Harding Xinran
Chris Bickerton Europe, Britain and the EU
For most of us, ‘Europe’ refers to the
European Union. Political scientist
and Official Fellow at Queens’
College, Cambridge Christopher
Bickerton offers a guide to the EU at
a time when understanding what the
EU is and Britain’s relationship to it is
more important than ever before.
Charlotte McDonald-Gibson Stories of Survival
Charlotte McDonald-Gibson spent
many years reporting on Europe’s
refugee crisis. She offers an insight
into the personal dilemmas,
pressures and choices of individuals
forced to flee their homeland.
She brings to life the human
consequences of the most urgent
humanitarian issue of our time.
John GimletteSri Lanka – Country of Contradictions
Sri Lanka is the size of Ireland and
home to 5,000 elephants. It hosts
an alluring tourist industry but also
a savage civil war. John Gimlette
recalls encounters with ex-
presidents, cricketers, tea planters
and terrorists, takes us on a journey
through battlefields, deep jungle, and
beguiling cities, and explains why
Sri Lanka can be both heavenly and
hellish.
XinranChina’s One-child Legacy
One in five of the world’s population
is Chinese, 300 million Chinese are
under 30, and of these, most are only
children as a result of the One Child
Policy. What do these only children
think and do? Author and journalist,
Xinran will discuss their lives and
dissect the psyche of modern China.
Luke HardingThe Inside Story of Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko was brutally
poisoned by polonium – a lethal and
highly radioactive substance – in
London in 2006. Guardian foreign
correspondent Luke Harding, who
spent nearly a decade reporting on
the Litvinenko case, sheds light on
the man who made some powerful
enemies in Russia.
88 10am
Barn
£10
8911.45am
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901.30pm
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913.15pm
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925pm
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sponsored by
Day Ticket: £12
93 10am Dukes Room £6Sally Festing, Wendy Klein, Janet Loverseed, Sue BoyleWelcome to Oversteps
We welcome four new poets to Oversteps, and
are sure that you will enjoy their work.
94 11.30am Dukes Room £6Jane Spiro, Jennie Osborne, John Daniel, Angela Stoner Happy Returns
Regular visitors to the Oversteps Day at
Dartington might well have enjoyed readings
by one or other of these poets before, and
will therefore be keen to discover these new
Oversteps collections.
A day of events by OVERSTEPS POETS -
arranged and introduced by Alwyn Marriage
Saturday 16 July – Dukes Room – Oversteps Day
95 2pm Dukes Room £6Rebecca Bilkau, Alwyn Marriage, Christopher North, Joan McGavin and Company Globe-Trotting
Join us as we travel far and wide, celebrating some
specific destinations.
96 3.30pm Dukes Room £6Susan Taylor and Simon Williams, John Daniel and Jane SpiroPartners in Poetry
There are not very many couples who both write
poetry, so we are delighted to have published
work by two such partnerships. These Oversteps
poets will read some of their individual and
collaborative work, and also talk about the
challenges, opportunities, delights and difficulties of
such close poetic relationships.
Sunday 17 July – Great Hall
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 101)
Martin Shaw, Jay Griffiths and Paul KingsnorthRogue Bards
Jay Griffiths talks about an aspect
of the psyche, as described in
her book ‘Tristimania: A Diary of
Manic Depression’. Paul Kingsnorth
addresses the topic of animism; the
nature of the mind and the mind of
the Earth. Martin Shaw talks about
the ancient relationship of story to
landscape.
In association with Schumacher College
Jonathan BateThe Life and Times of Ted Hughes
Ted Hughes, the long-serving Poet
Laureate, is widely recognised as
one of the greatest writers of the
20th century. Renowned scholar Sir
Jonathan Bate shares the five years
he spent exploring the extensive
Hughes’ archives unearthing new
material, to tell the story of Ted
Hughes’ life and work.
Laura Thompson The Stylish and Scandalous Lives of the Mitford Sisters
The Mitford sisters – Nancy, Pamela,
Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah
were ‘bright young things’ of inter-
war London enjoying stylish and
scandalous lives. Biographer Laura
Thompson offers insights into the
sisters as war loomed over Europe.
Satish KumarResurgence and the Ecologist at 50
For the last 50 years Resurgence
has been a forum for environmental,
spiritual and social issues. Satish
Kumar, the editor of Resurgence, is
a former monk and long-term peace
and environment activist. This year
the paperback of his book ‘Soil, Soul
and Society’ is published. He appears
regularly in the media including
Thought for the Day and previously
on Desert Island Discs.
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9812.45pm
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992.30pm
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1004.15pm
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Paul Kingsnorth Jonathan Bate Laura Thompson Satish Kumar
Day Ticket: £32 (not including event 101)
Sunday 17 July – Great Hall
Kay Dunbar and Stephen Bristow
(Ways With Words’ directors)
talk to Leah Varnell about how the
festival started 25 years ago – and
how it has developed. Interspersed
with this interview will be a selection
of their Chosen Songs.
1017.30 - 9pm
Great Hall
£5
(to include
a glass of
something
fizzy)
Kay Dunbar and Stephen Bristow 2016 and 1992 (Stop laughing!)
Their choices will be sung by
Global Harmony, a 50-strong Totnes
community choir, led by Roz Walker, with a
reputation for bringing fun and energy to its
events.
After this last event the audience is invited to join
the organisers of Ways With Words for a glass of
something fizzy.
Festival Finale – 25th Anniversary CelebrationChosen Songs with Ways With Words’ Directors 25
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Sunday 17 July – Barn – Women’s Lives
Day Ticket: £32
Miranda Sawyer Mid-Life Crisis – Truth and Lies
Highly respected Observer writer
Miranda Sawyer takes a funny,
insightful look at the mid-life crisis.
Hers began “as a sort of queasiness.
I felt uncomfortable, as though I
had the wrong coat on… Perhaps,
I should have left the family for a
Portuguese waiter… But I didn’t
want to leave my husband. I like my
husband. And my kids.”
Frances BorzelloIn Our Own Image
From the 16th century female
artists manipulated their own images
knowingly and skilfully. Art historian
Frances Borzello considers the rich
history of self-portraiture by women
who, flouting the restrictions of
`femininity’, have insisted on making
their own image.
Paula Byrne Kick Kennedy – The Forgotten Sister of JFK
Kick Kennedy was born into the
most powerful political dynasties in
American history. Biographer Paula
Byrne explores the life of this free-
spirited, rebellious and bewitching
member of the Kennedy clan and
how her family attempted to cover
up her untimely death at 28.
Juliet NicolsonSeven Generations of Women
Through researching seven
generations of strong yet vulnerable
mothers and daughters in her
family history Juliet Nicolson
(granddaughter of Vita Sackville-
West) makes significant discoveries
about herself and sees uncomfortable
patterns repeated in her own life.
She asks what effect does the past
really have on the present?
10211am
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1031pm
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1042.30pm
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1054.15pm
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Miranda Sawyer Paula Byrne Juliet Nicholson
Bursaries to Ways With Words
Each year at the Dartington Festival we give
away about 30 Bursary Passes to young people
between the ages of 17 – 25 so that they can
attend all (10 days) or some (5 days) of the
festival FREE OF CHARGE.
This is a fantastic opportunity to become
immersed in the festival, be introduced to new
ideas, new authors and make new friends.
For details and application procedure
email [email protected]
Eating and Drinking at Dartington
Inbetween events there is a range of
places on site where you can relax and
have a drink, a quick snack or a full meal.
Food Groove Café -
Locally sourced, freshly
prepared, lunches and
dinners offering from 9.30am
organic coffee, fair-trade teas
and sumptuous cakes, with
last dinner serving at 7.30pm.
Cash payment only, sorry.
www.thefoodgroove.co.uk
@FoodGrooveCafe
The White Hart Bar and Restaurant –
open from 12 - 9pm.
With an emphasis on locally
sourced food, and value for
money, The White Hart is a
place to enjoy a great meal in
comfortable surroundings.
The Roundhouse Café –
open from 9am - 8pm.
Once again the Ship Studio is hosting
Craft workers and Booksellers
Dartington Print Makers and Bookbinders -
Prints & Book Arts
Paula Cloonan - Original Artwork & Cards
Heidron Guest of PaperWorks, Totnes -
Paper Crafts
Collectable, Secondhand and Antiquarian Books
from Colin Baker, Yealmpton Books
and Richard Wells.
General Information –Travelling to Dartington
• Dartington is roughly 25 miles southwest of Exeter and about a four hour 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 – Paddington is the mainline station from London. Totnes is the station nearest to Dartington Hall. Dartington Hall is a five minute taxi ride from the station.
ParkingParking charges apply on the Dartington Estate.Please leave plenty of time to get to your event as you may need to park at a distance from the venues and there may be queues at the ticket machines.(NB. Residents will receive a permit on arrival which entitles the holder to free parking in the designated car parks during your stay.)
Accessible parking is provided in the main car park (8 spaces) and in the Barn car park. A drop off point for the Barn is situated in front of the archway approximately 30 metres from the Barn. A drop off point for the Great Hall is situated at the White Hart approx. 50 metres from the Hall.
Mobility AccessThere is wheelchair access to the Great Hall, Barn and Upper Gatehouse, but please let us know when you buy your tickets as wheelchair spaces are limited and must be reserved in advance. There is no wheelchair access to the Dukes Room. There is access to the White Hart bar and dining rooms and to some bedrooms.
Hearing ImpairmentThere is an indiction loop system in place in the Great Hall (please ask the stewards where to sit to take advantage of this) and an Infra Red assisted hearing system in the Barn. The Dukes Room is unamplified.
With thanks to . . .
The PublishersAtlantic Books, Biteback Publishing, Bloomsbury, Canongate, Cornerstone, Faber, 4th Estate, Granta Books, Guardian, Halsgrove Publishing, Hamish Hamilton, Harper Collins, Haus Publishing Ltd, Headline, Head of Zeus, Hodder & Stoughton, Ivy Press, Legend Press, Little Brown, Lund Humphries, National Portrait Gallery, Notting Hill Editions, Orion, Oversteps, Oxford University Press, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Pluto Press, Profile Books, Quercus, Sceptre, September Publishing, Seren Books, Thames & Hudson, The British Museum Press, The History Press, The New Press, Verso, Virago, White Cloud Press, Wild Things Publishing.
Ways With Words’ PatronsJonathan Dimbleby, Nicholas Evans, Sir Michael Holroyd, Dame Penelope Lively, James Long, Blake Morrison, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Owen, The Lord O’Hagan, Peter Stanford, Salley Vickers
Official Bookselling Partner
Sponsors
Good, Close and Best FriendsColin Goldsmith, Marlene Eyre, Mrs E. Piercey, Brenda & John Wynn
Ways With Words StaffGeneral Manager: Leah VarnellFestival Curators: Chloe Dunbar, Leah Varnell, Jane FitzgeraldCustomer Relations and Box Office Manager: Philip JohnVenue Managers: Jess Morris, Charlie Ansell, Thomasin MarshallOur team of Festival Interns.
Technical Advice: Chris EdwardsTechnicians: Olly Webb and Ninian Harding
Thank you to the generous and energetic team of volunteers who support the festival in a variety of ways before, during and after the festival.
Dartington Hall StaffTej Walia and his team atDartington Accommodation and Catering Services Ltd.Jim Whittle and staff at the Barn Cinema.
Photo credits• Photos of Dartington © Tom Hanks• Photos of Cumbria © Jessica Bracken• 25 Years © Kate Mount, Gill Goddard & Oliver Edwards• Author Photos © Matt Austin, Nigel Barklie, Davina Bell, Jane Bown, Dale Cherry, Gemma Day, Lucy Dickens, Jonny Donovan, Caroline Forbes, Chris Gibbions, Chris Gilbert, Axel Hasslenberg, Caroline Irby, Chris Jelley, Geraint Lewis, Warwick Lister-Kaye, Claire McNamee, Sheetal Mallar, David Plas, Georgina Stewart, Colin Wagg, Helen Warner, Sebastian Willnow, Scott Wishart
The Start of the Next 25 Years . . .Over the next 12 months Ways With Words will be heading off to other, equally splendid, parts of the world.You’d be very welcome to join us in:
Umbria, Italy for theWays With Words Writing and Painting Holiday Courses24 September – 1 October 20161 October – 8 October 2016
Southwold, Suffolk for theWays With WordsSouthwold Literature Festival10 – 14 November 2016
Keswick, Cumbria for theWords by the Water Festival of Words and Ideas3 – 12 March 2017
And back in Dartington from7 – 17 July 2017
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David AaronovitchDecca AitkenheadJoan BakewellJuliet BarkerJonathan BateMitch BennMelvyn BraggMichael BillingtonVince CableDavid CrystalAndrew DaviesJonathan DimblebyHelen DunmoreIrving FinkelA.C. GraylingMark HaddonRoy HattersleyOliver JamesSteve JonesA.L. KennedyKen LivingstoneRosie MillardBen MillerGeorge MonbiotAnna PavordAlice RobertsPhilippe SandsMarcus du SautoyJoseph StiglitzMark WatsonFay WeldonShirley Williams
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