My Order

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: THE STORYTELLER’S JOURNEY

Keith Rossiter & Jonathan Posner

Join authors Jonathan Posner and Keith Rossiter on an adventure into the world of imagination in this interactive workshop.

Jonathan Posner is a full-time author and publisher based in Exeter. He has written and published six action adventure novels set in Tudor England. Jonathan gets a thrill from seeing his books in print and getting feedback from readers, which is why he is so keen to share what he has learned about the craft of writing with others.

Keith Rossiter is a former journalist turned full-time novelist. He has published one thriller turned full-time novelist. He has published one thriller set in Greece ‘The Chaos Game.’ He has recently completed a novel for young adults and another for middle-grade children. He is eager to share his steep learning curve with new and improving writers.

Fri 20 Sep 6-8pm

Flavel Studio

Tickets £15

DARTMOUTH’S HISTORY: DARTMOUTH HISTORY RESEARCH GROUP

Come along to this session if you are interested in our fascinating local history.

Members of the group will be available to talk about their work, and their locally published books will be available to buy.

Their most recent publication is: When War Came to the Dart, by Gail Ham and Hilary Sunman, which combines the memories of local people with official records and other contemporary accounts to chart the impact as the communities of the Dart were immersed in war.

Dartmouth History Research Group have published 40 books and booklets on the area’s history. Books have been written on local figures including Thomas Newcomen, John Davis, John Flavel and William Veale; and on local places including Hawley’s Fortalice, The Castle Hotel, Bayards Cove and Slapton Sands.

www.dartmouth-history.org.uk

Fri 20 Sep 4-5pm

Dartmouth Library

Free Event

ENDGAME 1944: HOW STALIN WON THE WAR

JONATHAN DIMBLEBY

Interviewed by John Suchet

Jonathan Dimbleby discusses his latest book, the Sunday Times bestseller: ‘Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War’.

Jonathan has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in television, working for ITV and the BBC, and has written a number of highly acclaimed books.

In 1994 he wrote, presented and co-produced Charles, The Private Man, the Public Role and published his book, The Prince of Wales: A Biography. In 1997 the BBC screened The Last Governor, his series on the final five years of British rule in Hong Kong and he published a book of the same name. His documentaries about Ethiopia and Kosovo were shown by the ITV network in 1998 and 2000 respectively. More recently his five-part series Russia - A Journey with Jonathan Dimbleby was broadcast by BBC2 and his book, Russia - A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People, was published to accompany the series.

Jonathan Dimbleby's previous books include the highly acclaimed Second World War Histories The Battle of the Atlantic and Destiny in the Desert: The Road to El Alamein, which was shortlisted for the Hessell-Tiltman Prize and was followed by his BBC2 programme Churchill's Desert War. His other books include, Russia: A Journey to the Heart of a Land and Its People, Richard Dimbleby: A Biography, The Palestinians, The Prince of Wales: A Biography and The Last Governor: Chris Patten and the Handover of Hong Kong.

 https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/120845/jonathan-dimbleby

Fri 20 Sep 8-9pm

Flavel Auditorium

Tickets £18

There will be a book signing in the auditorium after the talk

Environmental Matters: Seasonal Changes

Anna Turns, Sally Vincent & Anna Koska interviewed by Jo Loosmore

Join environmental journalist and author, Anna Turns, illustrator and author, Anna Koska and local author, Sally Vincent, discussing the effects of climate change on the seasons, biodiversity loss and the problem of chemical pollution, with BBC journalist and producer, Jo Loosemore.

Fri 20 Sep 11am-12pm

Flavel Auditorium

Tickets £10

There will be a book signing in the auditorium after the talk.

Anna Turns – Environmental journalist & author.

Since studying biology, Anna has worked in the media for more than two decades, from TV production to magazine journalism and radio broadcasting. As a freelance environmental journalist, she has written regularly for many national publications including The Guardian, BBC Future, New Scientist and Positive News. Her first book, Go Toxic Free: Easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution, was published in 2022. Her work focuses on solutions – progress, innovations and the changemakers pushing for a greener planet. Anna lives in Devon by the sea and is the senior environment editor for The Conversation, a website that brings academic research to a mainstream audience.  

https://theconversation.com/uk

Anna Koska – illustrator and author

Anna and her family moved from East Sussex to Devon in 2020 and she now finds inspiration for her artworks in the ebb and flow of the tide throughout the year, the flotsam and jetsam washed up on the shore and the creatures spotted in the air, on land and tucked away in rockpools. She has written and illustrated two beautiful books: ‘From Field & Forest: An Artist’s Year in Paint & Pen’ and ‘From Coast and Cove’, chronicling a year in the natural world captured in materials ranging from pencil, pen and ink, watercolour and egg tempera.

She is an enthusiastic supporter of the charity ‘Till the Coast is Clear’

Sally Vincent – author

When Sally Vincent left London for a quiet valley in Devon, she and husband Paul took on far more than a farmhouse renovation. Taken from her successful blog, Raining Sideways charts her rural adventures from townie to fully-fledged farmer, braving extreme weather, blight, sheep rearing and much more in between. Sally experiences first-hand the massive impact of the supermarkets, and highlights the deception of food production and food labelling in the UK. But as she faces the turbulence of the outside world, she turns to her garden for solace, finding light and happiness in nature, animals and her surroundings.

Jo Loosemore – interviewer

Radio maker. History finder. Theatre lover. Jo is a broadcaster, curator and actor. For the BBC, she has created radio dramas, documentaries and live programmes. This includes World War One at Home (in partnership with the Imperial War Museums) for network and local radio, regional tv and online. From Brazil to the Battlefield, the story of Exeter fighting footballers, was broadcast on BBC 5 Live. She also produced the Listening Project’s national tour for BBC Radio 4 and BBC local radio contributing the 1000th conversation to The British Library’s collection. She was an ARIAS nominee (Best Factual Series) in 2023, and is the creator of the podcast Red Earth about the 1943 evacuation of the South Hams. She curated Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy for The Box, Plymouth, and was co-curator of Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America (for national tour). She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Plymouth.

HISTORICAL FICTION: DAUGHTERS OF DEVON, ROSEMARY GRIGGS

Join Rosemary for this unique blend of history, theatre and re-enactment. Rosemary has researched Devon’s 16th century history for years, discovering a cast of fascinating characters and families whose influence stretched beyond the West Country. She tells the stories of the forgotten in history – the women beyond the royal court; wives, sisters, daughters and mothers who played their part during those tumultuous Tudor years: The Daughters of Devon.

Her novel, A Woman of Noble Wit, tells the story of Katherine Champernowne, Sir Walter Raleigh’s mother, and features many of the county’s well-loved places. The Dartington Bride is the extraordinary story of Lady Gabrielle Roberda Montgomery who came to Elizabethan England to marry into one of Devon’s most prominent and well-connected families.

She also creates and wears 16th century clothing, a passion which complements her love for bringing the past to life. Her talks will draw on extensive research into 16th century Devon, Tudor life and particularly Tudor and Elizabethan dress.

www.rosemarygriggs.co.uk

Fri 20 Sep 2-3pm

Flavel Auditorium

Tickets £10

There will be a book signing in the library afterwards.

MUSIC: IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN, JOHN SUCHET

John Suchet is considered to be an authority on Ludwig van Beethoven, and has written several books on the subject. His latest release ‘In Search of Beethoven’ stands apart as a deeply personal account of Suchet’s relationship with the great composer.

Suchet charts a journey from Beethoven’s early years in Bonn to his life in Vienna, following in the composer’s footsteps and interweaving his story with Suchet’s own. Suchet’s witty and insightful narrative offers a candid portrayal of Beethoven.

John Suchet is a well-known TV news reporter and newscaster and now regular presenter on Classic FM, he is an acknowledged authority on Ludwig van Beethoven and has sold over 23,000 copies of ‘Beethoven: The Man Revealed’.

www.johnsuchet.co.uk

Fri 20 Sep 6-7pm

Flavel Auditorium

Tickets £18

There will be a book signing in the Library afterwards

POETRY PICK AND MIX: DARTMOUTH POETRY CLUB

In this interactive session, members of Dartmouth’s Poetry Group invite you to share their love of poetry.

Members look forward to reading from some of their favourite poets, and invite you to do the same.

They will also do their best to fulfil requests. All ages welcome, whether you come to read of listen.

Event introduced and chaired by Ernie Wingeatt.

Dartmouth Poetry Club are a group of poetry enthusiasts who meet every month at The Flavel and new members are always welcome to join and share in a love of poetry.

Fri 20 Sep 4-5pm

Flavel Studio

Free event

THE BIG BOOK CLUB READ: LIZ FENWICK’S THE SECRET SHORE

Liz is a gifted story-teller and award-winning author with nine novels and two novellas to her name. Her latest book, ‘The Secret Shore’ has been selected for our Big Book Club Read. Members for our many local book clubs have been invited to read this title and to take part in the discussion that follows Liz’s talk.

Liz is American by birth, but fell in love with Cornwall, after she and her husband visited. He now lives in Cornwall, and it is the inspiration for much of her writing. She finds it raw and primeval, and it provides an evocative backdrop for human actions and so makes the ideal setting for a book and a character in and of itself.

Other titles include: ‘Delivering Christmas’, ‘The River Between Us’, ‘The Path to the Sea’ and many more.

www.lizfenwick.com

Friday 20 Sep 4-5pm

Flavel Auditorium

Tickets £10

There will be a Q&A after the event and a book signing in the Library