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& Sons (15)
A world-renowned but reclusive novelist, convinced he is about to die, summons his estranged sons to his home. But instead of seeking forgiveness for his countless mistakes, he instead reveals a truly unbelievable secret that brings his beloved ex-wife back into his orbit. With decades of resentment, jealousy and rage on the verge of spilling over, this splintered family is forced to face an inevitable reckoning, for better or for worse.
This star-studded, darkly comedic drama is led by spellbinding performances from Academy Award nominees Bill Nighy (Living, About Time) and Imelda Staunton (The Crown, Vera Drake), BAFTA nominee George MacKay (1917, Rose of Nevada), BAFTA winner Dominic West (The Wire, Downton Abbey), Johnny Flynn (Operation Mincemeat, Ripley), and rising star Noah Jupe (Hamnet, A Quiet Place).
Director Pablo Trapero
Cast Bill Nighy, George MacKay, Noah Jupe, Johnny Flynn, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Anna Geislerová, Arthur Conti
Tickets £9 (This includes £2 MyFlavel Venue Levy)
Acquisition of an Affordable Collection - Alec Smith.
Alec Smith has a passion for books. He collects rare books, first editions, as well as letters and original documents. He has amassed an amazing collection of books over the years including some unique Tolkien and JK Rowling editions. A recent acquisition is a letter written by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson a week before the Battle of Trafalgar eerily predicting his own death.
Alec will discuss how to put together a book collection without necessarily draining monetary resources, with newscaster, presenter and author John Suchet. He will also talk about what first inspired him, his successes and failures, joys and disappointments.
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Actors Studio - Launch
Launch Event – The Actor’s Studio in partnership with The Flavel
Dartmouth invites actors, creatives, parents, and community members of all ages to participate in a brand-new community performance initiative.
Come and find out more about how to get involved in this flagship project, Hopebridge, is a groundbreaking radio and film initiative rooted in local storytelling. Through a radio series and short films, we will bring Dartmouth’s untold stories to life, while offering workshops and creative opportunities in film and performing arts.
About The Actor’s Studio – Dartmouth
The Actor’s Studio – Dartmouth is a community-driven creative space, where storytelling,
acting, and personal growth collide. Rooted in the legacy of Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio, it
adapts the Listening Matters method to engage Dartmouth’s talent and stories.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Booking is essential.
For more information and details of how to sign up for the projects please go to:
https://actorsstudiodartmouth.com/
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Along a Green Lane Sometime Somewhere - Valerie Belsey
Valerie Belsey invites you to join her to learn about the extraordinary network of green lanes that wind around South Devon and the stories that they tell. After a short introduction, she will lead a walk from The Flavel to discover the green lanes that we can access locally.
Valerie Belsey is the author of " Exploring Green Lanes in the South Hams and the stories they tell." Published in 2023 and in its 3rd edition since 2001. She worked for SHDC in the coast and countryside dept and in the Highways dept of DCC always on green lanes and road history.
Valerie’s new book "Along a Green Lane Sometime Somewhere" will be out at the end of the year and tells how by studying one lane - the one which runs through the Green Lanes Centre - you can find out about many more. One Lane - Many Lives.
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An Evening of James Taylor
James Taylor is the encapsulation of the best of American songwriting.
His music has touched millions worldwide over his ongoing 55-year strong career and his music still stands up to the test of time. ‘How Sweet It Is’ focuses more on Taylor’s early songwriting career, featuring much loved songs, such as ‘Sweet Baby James’, ‘Something In The Way She Moves’, ‘Fire and Rain’ but also includes more recent classics like the evocative ‘Frozen Man’.
Vernon James performs the songs true to how they were written and in the spirit of James Taylor himself, with a soulful lilt. During this two-hour show, you will be taken on journey back to simpler times and happily lose yourself in the dulcet tones and sweet melodies of the finest songs written in the last half a century.
Friday 2nd October
Tickets £20
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Bad Influence : Rosie Nixon
Rosie Nixon is a visionary leader, author and coach dedicated to helping people rediscover their purpose and embrace change. With 16 years as the award-winning Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! and senior roles at Grazia, Glamour and Red, plus five published books, Rosie brings a rich media expertise to her work. Her coaching style uses storytelling to help clients rewrite their narrative. She is a career reinventor herself having hit burnout in 2022 and embarked on a journey of personal growth. She now sees her ‘breakdown’ as a break-THROUGH.
Rosie is a qualified coach at ACC level with the ICF and in 2024, she founded Rosie’s Reinvention Retreats to empower women with confidence and clarity in wellbeing, career, business and personal growth. These experiences uniquely placed Rosie to develop her Reinvent Like A PRO® framework which will be published in a book by Harper Collins in 2026. She is the author of The Stylist trilogy of novels, and domestic thriller, Just Between Friends. In November 2025 Rosie was identified by Edelman as one of the top 30 global creators influencing the midlife audience. She lives in Surrey with her husband, two sons and two cats.
Following an eventful stint styling Manhattan’s elite, Amber Green is back in London and ready to style her biggest client yet.
Superstar influencer Mandy Sykes is all-American and all-wrong for her new Surrey surroundings. Desperate to endear herself to the British upper crust, and to win likes from a new fanbase, the brash celebrity tasks Amber with providing all the smoke and mirrors she might need.
With only twelve weeks to prove her worth – and to earn the bonus which will secure her dream flat with her steady boyfriend, Rob – Amber’s biggest challenge is to keep her flats firmly on the ground.
But when your new boss has a private life as colourful as her designer wardrobe, and a brother-in-law whose ridiculously good looks can’t help but catch your eye, it becomes hard to tell who’s a genuine influencer, and who is simply a bad influence…
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Becoming the Ocean : Julian Carnell
Julian Carnell has been Director of The Sharpham Trust for over ten years. The Trust owns a historic estate on the banks of the river, downstream from Totnes, offering mindfulness retreats with a focus on reconnecting people to the natural world. Three years ago, he helped create the Wild Dart Partnership to bring together over twenty organisations, landowners and community groups with the aim of restoring the health of the river.
Julian will talk about his new book Becoming the Ocean – a River Dart Journey Through the Wild, the Ancient and the Sacred which follows the Dart from its source high in the peatlands of Dartmoor, through valleys of temperate rainforest, the farming lowlands and the estuary before reaching the sea at Dartmouth. Along the way discovering the amazing history, people and wildlife associated with the river and what we can do to try and reverse its decline and the decline of all our rivers.
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Bosun Bob – Erin Allgrove
Bob and his feline friend have escaped shipwreck and are off on a nautical treasure hunt. They meet many friendly animals along the way who guide them to an oceanic volcano where the treasure is hidden and guarded by a mysterious creature. Will the friends find the treasure, will they escape the volcano?!
This beautifully written tale is the perfect sequel to Bosun Bob The Salty Old Sea Dog. Created by Erin Allgrove and beautifully illustrated by Emily Langstaff Ellis this book and the creatures inside will really capture the imagination of children and adults alike, perfect for reading together.
Yachting Monthly Magazine
FREE TO ATTEND
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Continuity and Transformation in Western Art
Continuity and Transformation in Western Art
Medieval to the Modern period
Thirteenth to the Eighteenth Century
How did art both mirror and shape the great transformations of European history? This course invites learners on a journey through five centuries of Western art, from the soaring cathedrals of the Gothic age to the elegance of the Enlightenment. Along the way, you will encounter masterpieces that reveal how artists responded to questions of faith, power, identity, and knowledge—and how their works reshaped the very way people saw the world.
Each week focuses on a pivotal moment, moving from the grandeur of thirteenth-century sacred art to the realism of Dutch domestic interiors, from the drama of Baroque spectacle to the clarity of Enlightenment classicism. The course combines lectures with lively discussion of key readings, encouraging you to think critically about how art reflects cultural values while also driving social and intellectual change.
What makes this course distinctive is its dual emphasis: you will learn to analyse visual form with precision while also situating works of art within their historical and philosophical contexts. By the end, you will not only recognize the major styles—Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical—but also understand the debates and ideas that shaped their creation.
Whether you are drawn to the grandeur of Michelangelo, the luminous colours of Venetian painting, the quiet realism of Vermeer, or the rational elegance of the Enlightenment, this course offers a chance to engage deeply with the art that helped define Western culture.
Weekly Outline
• Week 1: The Church Triumphant: Sacred Authority, Visual Culture, and the Gothic Imagination in the Thirteenth Century
• Week 2: Art and Social Identity: Courtiers, Burghers, and the Shifting Patronage of the Fourteenth Century; The Conquest of Reality: Naturalism and Devotional Experience in the Early Fifteenth Century
• Week 3: Tradition and Innovation I: Humanism, Classicism, and Artistic Experimentation in Later Fifteenth-Century Italy; Tradition and Innovation II: Devotion, Detail, and Symbolism in Fifteenth-Century Northern Europe
• Week 4: Harmony Attained: Idealism, Proportion, and Intellectual Synthesis in Tuscany and Rome, Early Sixteenth Century; Light and Colour: Sensuous Aesthetics and the Poetics of Vision in Venice and Northern Italy
• Week 5: The New Learning Spreads: Humanist Ideals, Reformation Culture, and the Visual Arts in Germany and the Netherlands
• Week 6: A Crisis of Art: Mannerism, Religious Upheaval, and the Challenge to Classical Norms in Late Sixteenth-Century Europe
• Week 7: Vision and Visions: Spirituality, Spectacle, and the Catholic Imagination in Early Seventeenth-Century Europe
• Week 8: The Mirror of Nature: Realism, Domesticity, and the Rise of a Bourgeois Aesthetic in Seventeenth-Century Holland
• Week 9: Power and Glory I: The Papacy, Absolutism, and the Theatrics of Power in Seventeenth-Century Italy; Power and Glory II: Monumentality, Court Culture, and Artistic Display in France, Germany, and Austria, 17th–18th Centuries
• Week 10: The Age of Reason: Enlightenment Thought, Neoclassicism, and the Reconfiguration of Art in Eighteenth-Century England and France
Practical Information
• Readings: All required readings will be provided, both in print and electronically, ensuring learners have easy access to the material.
• Course Fee: The cost for the full 10-week course is £300, payable by the first week
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• Delivery: The course will be taught by Dr. Nicci Wakeham in Dartmouth.
• Schedule: Dates and times are as follows:
2026 - September 21st, October 5th and 19th, November 2nd, 16th and 30th, December 14th
2027 - January 4th and 18th, and final session on February 1st.
• Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
• The course Fee: £300, to be paid by the 1st September. Please do use the booking form on my website (drnicciwakeham.uk), you can also pay directly on the site. If you are unable to do so, please post your details to the address below and I will send out a booking form. Payment can be made on the website or by cheque: N Wakeham, and posted to Tangles, Brixton, PL8 2AH.
Contact Information
• Tutor: Dr Nicola Wakeham
• Mobile: 07818 662661 – please do leave a message with your number and I will return your call
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Crime Writers’ Panel
These crime writers have very different approaches to their writing, and it will be interesting to hear how they go about their craft and debate key issues.
Jane Corry is the queen of domestic suspense, now an eight-time Sunday Times bestseller. Her latest book, My Sister’s Secret, is a gripping and emotional suspense about two sisters and the dark past that binds them. The sisters are bound by a secret that could tear them apart…
Jane began her career in journalism, working primarily for women’s magazines, while writing romantic fiction.
Stephanie Austin has created her heroine Juno Browne, a self-proclaimed domestic goddess and reluctant antique shop owner, whose adventures are set in Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor. There are now nine books in the Juno Browne series, with book ten, 'A Dartmoor Christmas Card Murder', due out in October. Stephanie began her career as a teacher, but has also worked as an artist, an astrologer and has dabbled in antiques.
Martin Hesp’s new series begins with The Cornish Snapper: The Granite Mystery, in which Martin introduces Lammoran and Hamilton—a dynamic duo reminiscent of Holmes and Watson. Drawing on his own experiences in the newsroom, he explores the intersection of investigative grit and the art of photography. Martin has spent over 50 years at the sharp end of British journalism, starting his career as a junior reporter at 17 and eventually becoming the Senior Feature Writer and Columnist for the Western Morning News and Western Daily Press.
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DTC present Grease Young@Part®
GREASE Young@Part®
Presented by DTC Youth Theatre CIC
Get ready to hand-jive your way back to Rydell High as DTC Youth Theatre CIC proudly presents GREASE Young@Part® – a vibrant, family-friendly musical performed by an outstanding cast of talented young people.
Join Danny, Sandy, the Pink Ladies and the Burger Palace Boys in this energetic celebration of friendship, first love and teenage life. Packed with unforgettable songs, exciting choreography and plenty of humour, this specially adapted version of the iconic musical is perfect for audiences of all ages.
Featuring favourites including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Beauty School Dropout and We Go Together, GREASE Young@Part® captures all the fun and nostalgia of the original while showcasing the incredible dedication, confidence and talent of DTC Youth Theatre CIC’s young performers.
Following a series of acclaimed productions across South Devon, this promises to be another unforgettable theatrical experience filled with energy, laughter and heart.
Performance Times
• Friday 9 October – 7.00pm
• Saturday 10 October – 2.00pm & 7.00pm
• Sunday 11 October – 3.00pm
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.
GREASE Young@Part® is presented through special arrangement with and all authorised performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW). www.theatricalrights.co.uk
Tickets
Adults – £12.50
Children (Under 16) – £8.50
Family Ticket – £38
(Adult tickets include a £1.50 MyFlavel venue levy/child tickets include a £1 venue levy)
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 has 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 Willam Veale; and on local places including Hawley’s Fortalice, The Castle Hotel, Bayards Cove and Slapton Sands.
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Dartmouth Writers Walk : Jonathan Turner
A 1.5 hour guided walk around Dartmouth visiting the places where Dartmouth writers lived and worked.
Hear stories of a non-conformist preacher, banned from Dartmouth, whose sermons are still in print today; of the Victorian politician and inventor who wrote a gothic ghost story for his friend, about Dartmouth’s Gomerock Tower. Listen to poems about the River Dart, and Townstal Church, by a Dartmouth artist and see his painting of the Governor of Dartmouth Castle in the Guildhall. See Flora Thomson’s house with its stunning harbour views, where she wrote her trilogy Larkrise to Candleford, and Chritopher Milne’s (aka Robin) bookshop, a Dartmouth landmark for over 30 years. Visit the grave of a Medieval merchant and privateer, the inspiration for Chaucer’s Shipman’s Tale, and Dartmouth Museum founded by writer and historian Percy Russell, author of the first and best-selling History of Dartmouth and its Port.
As well as the literary sites, you will see the heart of Dartmouth, its backstreets, medieval and Tudor buildings; its steep steps, and magnificent harbour views.
The walk is 1.25 miles long and will involve two short climbs up to wonderful viewpoints, and some steep steps down again!
Maximum number for each walk: 15
Dramatically Different 2026 (7+)
Dramatically Different Youth Theatre is a fun, energetic drama group where young people can grow, explore, and express themselves. Students build confidence, discover their voice, and form genuine friendships in a supportive, creative environment.
This is a drama-focused group with less emphasis on musical theatre and more emphasis on performance skills such as improvisation and devising, physical theatre, voice and characterisation, writing and script work.
This group is perfect for anyone who wants to develop acting skills, stretch their imagination, and enjoy the excitement of performance.
Director and facilitator, Rachel Swain, is an award-winning Youth Theatre Practitioner, with over 25 years teaching experience, Rachel writes original Youth Theatre productions to ensure all young people have their moment to shine. Her youth group ‘Dramatically Different Brixham’ has been the resident Youth Theatre in Brixham for over 10 years and ‘Dramatically Different Teignmouth’ has been a huge success since it was established in 2019.
Suitable for ages 7 to 18 years There are two weekly sessions on a Wednesday - please make sure you book into the correct session. The earlier group at 4pm will be for younger children and the later group at 5.15pm will be for the older age group, but we are very happy to vary this depending on what suits your individual child, so please contact us if you wish to discuss.
Session 1 ‘Juniors’ 4pm to 5pm - Younger age group (typically age 7 to 9)
Session 2 ‘Transitions’ 5.15pm to 6.15pm - Older age group (typically age 10+)
Classes begin on Wednesday 9th September
16th September
23rd September
30th September
7th October
14th October
21st October
11th November
18th November
25th November
2nd December
The sessions cost £95 per term, which will normally include between 9 and 11 sessions depending on the actual term dates, but dates and term lengths can vary.
A number of subsidised places are available to Dartmouth Residents through our Bursary Scheme. Please email Lindsay Ellwood for details of the bursary scheme on:
flaveldrama.bursaries@gmail.com
Elemental : Arthur Snell
Arthur Snell - in conversation with Mary Nightingale
Arthur Snell is an expert on the interaction between geopolitics and climate change with a degree in History from the University of Oxford. He has over 30 years’ experience in conflict zones and fragile states through the Middle East and Africa and has advised governments – including Ukraine during the current conflict – on a range of security and conflict-related issues. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, the world’s oldest think tank, a former British Ambassador, and has hosted numerous podcasts which have had millions of downloads.
In Elemental, Arthur describes how the climate crisis is already affecting the lives of millions of people. As natural disasters and increased scarcity shake the established world order to its core, he reveals that an alternative future is still possible.
In this groundbreaking study Arthur Snell visits rapidly changing societies to show how we can
live on a warming planet. He presents a vision in which Africa powers Europe with solar energy,
where autocratic oil states are no more, and new shipping routes across the melting Arctic bring
Asia, Europe and North America closer than ever before. In Russia, huge areas of highly fertile
land will be exposed by the melting ice for whoever can seize it, while China's stranglehold on
rare minerals looks set to make it the world's leading superpower.
‘An extraordinary mastery of geopolitics, combining years on the ground in the most
challenging places, a raw instinct for politics and a deep ethical concern for the world in the
face of climate catastrophe. A masterpiece.’ RORY STEWART
Arthur Snell will be in conversation with Mary Nightingale.
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Explorer Series : Monty Halls
We are presenting a series of inspiring talks by some truly amazing individuals who are Explorers in their chosen field.
In September we hope you can join broadcaster, writer, biologist, and former Royal Marine Monty Halls for an evening of tall tales from around the world. From epic encounters with the world’s greatest marine predators, to exploring remote cave systems in Borneo, to living in the Galapagos with his family, and working as a fisherman for the BBC series “Fisherman’s Apprentice”. Signed copies of his best-selling books will be available on the night, including his latest Churchill’s Killing House, as well as “My Family and the Galapagos” and “Commando”. Described as “a masterclass” and “utterly inspiring” this event is a chance to travel the world from the safety of your seat in the theatre
Thursday 1st October 2026
All Tickets £16.50
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FRIDAY @ THE FLAVEL: THE FRIDAY RECITAL
FRIDAY @ THE FLAVEL: THE FRIDAY RECITAL
Alex Wilson (piano)
Alex Wilson studied at the Royal College of Music. A British Contemporary Piano Competition finalist and Park Lane Group Young Artist, he has performed at major venues globally, from London’s Wigmore Hall to the Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow. Having previously entertained us with his version of “the Enigma Variations” and “the Planets”, Alex returns with another performance of a large scale popular orchestral work arranged for solo piano. This time it’s Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” which demands his considerable skill and virtuosic dexterity around the keyboard. In the usual Friday recital format: an hour’s music followed by a glass of wine in convivial company.
Programme
“Pictures at an Exhibition” - Mussorgsky ( arr. for solo piano)
event co-ordinator: Helen Deakin (Classical Music Co-ordinator)
Friday 16th October 2026
Tickets £15, includes a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink after the talk
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Family History as Inspiration for Writing - Alison Huntingford
Alison Huntingford is an only child of two only children and so has always felt a distinct lack of family.
This inspired her to research her family history and led her to write her debut novel, ‘The Glass Bulldog’, based on the true story of one of her ancestors, which was nominated for the Walter Scott prize for Historical Fiction in 2019. Her second full length novel, ‘A Ha’penny Will Do’ was published January 2022. 'Dance A Fearful Jig', her third historical novel, was published in January 2024.
Alison has a degree in Humanities with Literature and has always enjoyed reading, especially the great writers of the 19th Century. In September 2021 Alison set up the South Hams Authors Network – an organisation which aims to support and promote the work of Devon writers. This is a free, informal group which meets on a monthly basis and has a devoted and loyal following. The group have been involved in book readings at libraries and shops, stalls at local fayres, radio interviews and local newspaper articles. This culminated in the much praised Dartmoor Edge Literary Fest in October 2022, followed by the South Hams Literary Festival around Ivybridge in 2023.
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Fiesta : Daniel Stables
Daniel Stables – in conversation with Martin Hesp
Daniel Stables is a travel writer and guidebook author based in the UK, specializing in regions such as
Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. He has authored or contributed to over 30 travel
books for various publishers, including Rough Guides and DK Eyewitness, and writes for outlets like BBC
Travel and National Geographic Traveller. In 2021, he was shortlisted in the Freelance Writing Awards for
his work in travel writing. You can find more about his work on his website danielstables.co.uk or follow him on Twitter
@DanStables
Fiesta explores the vibrant tapestry of human festivity, delving into the extraordinary lengths to which we go to express
our cultures and commemorate life's milestones. From drunken pilgrimages to sacrificial funerals, national days to
neo-pagan necromancy, festivals represent human culture at its most vivid and varied, and the resulting account is both
a rich collection of travel writing and an anthropological exploration of the roles that festivals play in society. Through
colourful characters, vibrant sights, and varied locales, Daniel Stables takes a curious, humanistic look at festivals
across the world, unravelling the universal threads that run through our diverse global celebrations.
Daniel Stables will be in conversation with Martin Hesp.
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Head Over Skis : Sophie Davies
Sophie Davies is a romance author based in West Sussex, who studied English literature at the University of Exeter, and has been working in the publishing industry ever since.
She began posting about her writing journey on TikTok in 2023, which has led to her meeting so many other amazing writers, some of whom have become her closest friends.
Head Over Skis is Sophie’s debut novel.
Head Over Skis is a spicy rom com for fans of Hannah Grace, Catherine Walsh and Lindsey Kelk.
One ex
One ski-instructor
And one holiday that's about to go off-piste...
The trip finally made it out of the group chat! Lottie and her friends have been planning – and saving – for their ski trip for ages and everything is going to be perfect. Until it isn’t.
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I Wanna Be Loved By You - Andrew Wilson Book Launch
This year Marilyn Monroe turns 100. As a centennial tribute, award-winning biographer, Andrew Wilson, will talk about his biography: I Wanna Be Loved By You, followed by Q&A and book signing.
Dreamer. Bombshell. Icon.
Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, Andrew Wilson’s biography of Marilyn Monroe presents the actress in a startling new light.
Born Norma Jeane Mortenson, she had an uncertain and unforgiving upbringing with a mentally ill mother, an absent father and cruel foster parents. She would dream about Hollywood, and she transformed herself into the ultimate goddess of the silver screen; her image has been branded into the collective consciousness. Men lusted after her, and women wanted to be her. All her life, she just wanted to be loved.
Marilyn Monroe was more than just a goddess of the screen. She was highly intelligent and well-read, and formed long-term friendships with poets, philosophers, playwrights and political activists, such as with the avant-garde poet Edith Sitwell. After training with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, she worked hard to dismantle the common perception that she was nothing but a dumb blonde.
About the author:
Andrew Wilson is an award-winning biographer, novelist and journalist. In 2003, his first book, Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith (Bloomsbury) won an Edgar Allan Poe Award and the LAMBDA Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize.
Since then, he has written the biographies of Harold Robbins: The Man Who Invented Sex, Mad Girl’s Love Song: Sylvia Plath and Life Before Ted, Alexander McQueen: Blood Beneath the Skin, and the group biography, Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived.
'Wilson is an articulate and gentle man, with a mind committed to evidence and the demeanour of someone likely to give you a fair shake. Watching him reminds you that of all the tricks in a biographer s bag, equanimity and respect for an interviewee's first impressions are indispensable' DAILY TELEGRAPH
There is a free screening of one of Marilyn’s funniest and finest movies ‘Some Like it Hot’ in the auditorium following this talk.
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Jeremy Hunt : Can We Be Rich Again?
Is Britain stuck in a doom loop of higher debt and higher taxes? Or can we fix the
British economy?
In Can We Be Rich Again? Jeremy Hunt argues that getting out of Britain’s low
growth is a solvable problem, and that we should approach the country’s economic
future with optimism.
Hunt asks the key questions: How deliverable are the changes we need by a Labour,
Conservative or Reform government? How do we get the economy growing despite
dangerous levels of debt? How do we sell long term reforms when our leaders have
so little political capital? But countering pessimism needs solutions not just
assertions, and they need to be realistic – plans that politicians can actually deliver in
a democratic system and the majority of the electorate can get behind.
Jeremy Hunt was elected Conservative MP for South West
Surrey in 2005. He was first appointed Secretary of State for
Health in September 2012, then served as Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from July 2018 to July 2019, and Chancellor of
the Exchequer from October 2022 to July 2024. Before his election as an MP, Jeremy
ran his own educational publishing business, Hotcourses. He also set up a charity to
help AIDS orphans in Africa in which he continues to play an active role. Jeremy
lives in Godalming and London with his wife, son and two daughters.
Jeremy Hunt will be interviewed by John Suchet.
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Let us take you to Paris 26
“Let us take you to Paris” offers an immersive experience of French music, featuring iconic works from artists like Edith Piaf, Charles Trenet, Django Reinhardt, Sydney Bechet and Serge Gainsbourg.
The show is guided by Parisian-born Fifi La Mer, who sings and plays accordion, and Oliver Wilby, who performs on clarinet, tenor saxophone and accordion. Together they bring a unique blend of French musical history, covering a century of Parisian tunes, while sharing captivating tales of romance, mystery, and heartache associated with the City of Lights. Fifi and Oliver have gained recognition through sold-out shows at venues like Ronnie Scott’s and various theatres across the country. Oliver has also performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, Ray Gelato and BBC Big Band.
Their engaging performance has been featured in the NatWest advertising campaign. Audience testimonials praise the show for its captivating music, entertaining storytelling, and the charming, talented duo’s ability to create an exciting and enjoyable atmosphere. The performance promises a charismatic, authentic taste of Paris through its distinctive musical arrangements and rich historical context.
Friday September 25th
Tickets £19
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Lunchtime Concert Series with the Lyric Piano Trio
Lunchtime Concert Series with the Lyric Piano Trio
The Lyric Piano Trio is delighted to launch the first of a new series of monthly lunchtime concerts at the Flavel Theatre, taking place on the last Thursday of each month. Featuring fabulous music-making by talented local musicians who perform regularly throughout the South Hams, these concerts offer an inspiring hour of live chamber music in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
The opening concert takes place on Thursday 24 September, from 1.00–2.00 pm and celebrates English music with works by the distinguished composer Benjamin Britten, Devon composer Elfyn Jones, and the wonderfully romantic and glorious Cello Sonata by Frank Bridge.
At just £15, your ticket also includes delicious homemade soup and fresh bread, making it the perfect way to enjoy an uplifting lunchtime of superb music, good food and excellent company.
Lyric Piano Trio brings together three accomplished musicians with a shared passion for chamber music and engaging, expressive performance. Drawing on a wealth of experience as soloists and chamber musicians, the ensemble presents programmes that combine beloved masterpieces with less familiar gems, creating concerts that are both accessible and rewarding for audiences of all ages.
Performing throughout the South Hams this season, the Trio celebrates the rich tradition of chamber music through imaginative programming and warm, communicative musicianship. Their concerts showcase the intimate musical dialogue that makes the piano trio repertoire so enduring, with works spanning the Classical and Romantic periods alongside carefully chosen twentieth-century favourites.
Whether in historic churches or community venues, Lyric Piano Trio is committed to bringing live classical music to local audiences in inspiring and welcoming settings, continuing a tradition of outstanding music-making across South Devon.
Doors open 12pm
Food served at 12.30pm
Concert starts 1.00pm
£15 to include Flavel Café Soup
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Master and Cartographer : Alan Harper
Alan Harper is an RYA Yacht Master, maritime journalist, and magazine editor, and has contributed articles on yachting, aviation, seamanship, navigation and travel to publications throughout the English-speaking world. His previous books include Waiting for Buddy Guy: Chicago Blues at the
Crossroads, which won the ASCAP Foundation Award and was a Living Blues
book of the year.
Alan will be talking about his latest book: Master and Cartographer, which follows the adventurous life of Captain Greenvile Collins (1643-94). His seafaring voyages took him from Patagonia to the Arctic, into battles against Dutch men of war and Barbary corsairs, and to the slave markets and Silk Road ports of the Mediterranean. A scientific navigator, his professional drive drew him to Shetland, the Scilly Isles and all points in between, as he undertook the most ambitious survey of the British coastline yet attempted, and which helped change the course of history.
This fascinating story is a must for those interested in adventures at sea and all things maritime.
Alan will be in conversation with Tim Wiltshire.
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Meg Clothier : The Shipping Forecast
There’s a sea lover in every Brit.
The Shipping Forecast on Radio 4 has been keeping people in tune with the gloriously fickle British weather for a century, and capturing our hearts and imaginations along the way.
Celebrating a hundred years since the first broadcast, this book takes you to the heart of what the Shipping Forecast means to us as a nation. Each of the ten chapters brings you on a fascinating exploration of a different area of our British maritime history, from stormy weather up above to the seabed far below, and from fishing boats and battleships to the songs and poems inspired by the forecast.
This joyous book invites you to sail away into the enchanting world of the forecast, and is the perfect companion for anyone curious about our great British skies and seas.
Meg Clothier studied Classics at Cambridge, sailed from England to Alaska and worked as a journalist in London and Moscow. She has published three historical novels and Sea Fever: A Seaside Companion, a book full of marine lore and seaside charm, with her brother, Chris. She lives on the sunny side of the Quantock Hills with her husband, two children and an improbable number of vegetables.
Meg Clothier will be in conversation with Georgina Wiltshire.
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Michael Rosen : Getting Through It
Join poetry legend Michael Rosen as he presents his new one-person show Getting Through It, formed of a double bill of monologues, The Death of Eddie and Many Kinds of Love.
Getting Through It is a powerful, deeply personal yet universally relatable, double bill of monologues and poetry.
In the first part, The Death of Eddie, Michael explores his experience after losing his 18-year-old son to meningitis, recalling the strange and contradictory mix of emotions felt after the unexpected loss. This story, memorably captured in Michael’s children’s book The Sad Book, is told in vivid and poetic detail.
In the second part, Many Kinds of Love, Michael recounts his 48-day period in intensive care, after contracting COVID-19 early in the pandemic, and having to face his own mortality. Both stories are told with Michael’s signature positivity, humour and poetry. Together, the two pieces are a testimony to the spirit of recovery.
"Simple yet powerfully affecting, it is a remarkable event" ★★★★★ West End Best Friend
"A universal human journey" ★★★★★ Everything Theatre
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Music Themed Quiz Night with rustic supper
Join us for our music-themed quiz night!
Gather a team of friends together and pit your musical wits against the other teams!
Teams are made up with a maximum of 6 people.
We will be serving a rustic supper part way through the quiz, and a vegetarian option is also available.
The bar will be open throughout the evening.
Tickets £25 (To include supper)
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NT Live: The Misanthrope (15)
The Misanthrope
by Martin Crimp after Molière
directed by Indhu Rubasingham
Award-winner Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) plays the title role in this razor-sharp reimagining of Molière’s classic dark comedy.
Telling the truth isn’t always that simple. Alice, a brilliant novelist, despises the carefully constructed lies of modern society. But the more she challenges those around her, the fiercer the backlash becomes. Soon, she must confront the price of speaking her truth in a world that would rather silence her.
Filmed live on stage at the National Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham directs Martin Crimp’s (Cyrano de Bergerac) highly anticipated play.
Tuesday 22nd September
Tickets £18/£11
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Patrick Gale : Love Lane
Patrick Gale – in conversation with Sophie Pierce
From beloved, bestselling author Patrick Gale comes a searing portrayal of escape and the power of love, home and a family.
Love Lane is a brilliant new standalone novel featuring characters from Patrick’s Costa-shortlisted novel A Place Called Winter.
1950s Northern England. Three generations of men, two of women.
When veteran Canadian wheat farmer, Harry Cane is brutally obliged to sell up and sail home to an England transformed by two world wars, his arrival triggers unwelcome self-examination for the family he abandoned, and for whom he has never been more than a distant myth.
His daughter feels duty bound to take him in but is riven with doubt and ambushed by a long-buried anger she has never before expressed. Harry's effect on the next generation is less predictable and enables his granddaughter to deal with an unspeakable trauma, while her gentle husband feels seen for who he truly is. Can Harry stay and make a new life before
it's too late, or will he find himself cast out again, punished for having witnessed and understood too much?
From the rural plains of Canada to 1950s Liverpool and Yorkshire, Love Lane is a searing
portrayal of escape and entrapment, and a powerful exploration of what home and family
can really be.
Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight. He spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, which his father governed, then grew up in Winchester before going to Oxford University. He now lives on a farm near Land's End. One of this country's best-loved
novelists, his most recent works are A Perfectly Good Man, the Richard and Judy bestseller Notes From An Exhibition, the Costa-shortlisted A Place Called Winter and Mother's Boy. His original BBC television drama, Man In An Orange Shirt, was shown to great acclaim in 2017 as part of the BBC's Queer Britannia series, leading viewers around the world to discover his novels.
Love Lane has been selected for this year’s Book Festival Big Read
Patrick Gale will be in conversation with Sophie Pierce.
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Pauline Eyre - Anyone for Tennis?
ANYONE FOR TENNIS?
A Wimbledon line judge for 20 years, comedian Pauline Eyre is ready to spill the Pimms on tennis gossip from the fragrant royal box to the musty locker room, and why line judges are OUT!
Expect smashing stories, ace anecdotes and a 40-love letter to the game. And there’s nobody to say ‘quiet please’. She cannot be serious...can she?
“Laughs aplenty...juicy locker room secrets...naughty line judge-y anarchy...motivational joy...Nice.”5***** North WestEnd
"What makes the hour land is the marriage of insider authority and properly honed comic timing. It’s not just a love letter to a game; it’s a blueprint for turning an obsession into a well-structured, laugh-out-loud show.”4**** One4Review
‘She’s warm, wonderfully funny and you’ll want to be her pal' Angela Barnes.
‘10out of10’ Giles Brandreth (THE Giles Brandreth!!)
Fresh from sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2025.As featured in/on The Guardian, Sunday Post, The Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, BBC5 Live, Radio Wimbledon, Der Spiegel, TVNZ, ABC Australia...
Directed by Ben van Der Velde
Insta @yespaulineeyre
Facebook @yespaulineeyre
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Poetry Slam : Jackie Juno
Jackie Juno is a multiple Poetry Slam champion (and the only person to have won the coveted Glastonbury Festival Poetry Slam twice - 2017 and 2024)!
She has performed her poetry at two TEDx Talks, been chaired Bard and Grand Bard of Exeter for 8 years combined, and has hosted cabarets and poetry nights in various towns in Devon for decades.
She has published six poetry collections, including the recent ‘Priestess of the Powder Puff Experiment’ with Burning Eye Books.
She has created several multi-media one-woman shows, including ‘CANCER DANCER - My Quirky Quest for a Cure’, a comedic extravaganza written during her chemotherapy treatment in 2022.
Her material is hilarious, but also tender, confessional and occasionally ranting against the injustices of the world.
Jackie, along with the inimitable Ed Tripp, will be hosting Dartmouth's first ever Poetry Slam to find the best Performance Poet 2026!
There will be a cash prize of £100 for the winner, who will have to battle through several rounds of exciting, nail-biting performances to prove worthy of the title.
The audience gets to judge who they want to win.
Open to anyone over the age of 16?
Poets need to contact jackiejuno63@gmail.com for further information and to apply to enter.
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Rock Idols - Sophie Pierce and Alex Murdin
From devils and druids to timeless tors, join artist Alex Murdin and writer Sophie Pierce for an illustrated talk exploring the magic and mystery of Dartmoor. Their new book, Rock Idols: a guide to Dartmoor in 28 tors, is thought to be the first illustrated guide to Dartmoor in many years, with new, original drawings of these mysterious monoliths. Sophie and Alex will share their adventures exploring the tors, as well as some of the fascinating folklore, geology and history of Dartmoor. They will show Alex's new drawings of the tors, as well as intriguing Victorian etchings of some of Dartmoor's most famous features including Scorhill Stone Circle and the Dewerstone.
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Roger and James Deakins : Reflections: On Cinematography
Roger & James Deakins – in conversation with Monty Halls
We are delighted that Roger and James Deakins can join us this year to talk about Roger’s fascinating career in cinematography, as described in his new book, Reflections: On Cinematography.
From two-time Academy Award winner from 16 nominations, and five-time BAFTA award winner from 11 nominations, Sir Roger Deakins - widely regarded as the greatest cinematographer of all time - a one-of-a-kind visual memoir, telling his life's story by way of his iconic, beloved films, including The Shawshank Redemption, Skyfall, Fargo, Blade Runner 2049, The Big Lebowski, 1917, and No Country for Old Men, among others.
Over the course of a brilliant 50-year career, Sir Roger Deakins has proven to be the greatest artist & visionary that the craft of cinematography has ever known.
In Reflections: On Cinematography, Deakins offers his fans and film enthusiasts a one-of-a-kind look into his life and improbable road to Hollywood immortality. Readers will discover how "the boy from Torquay, England" overcame a troubled childhood to enter his way into art school; his fortuitous entry into world of documentary filmmaking (including a yacht race around the world); to shooting groundbreaking music videos such as Herbie Hancock's "Rock It," to his singular film career, including his longtime collaborations with the Coen Brothers, Sam Mendes, and Denis Villeneuve.
Filled with never-before-seen storyboards, sketches, and diagrams, Deakins shows readers how he created some of the most iconic scenes in the most beloved films of all time. Through candid, lyrical prose, Deakins reflects on his life and each of his projects; how he helped shape them, and how they shaped him.
A truly unique visual memoir, Reflections is for film fans and general readers alike, and for anyone looking to find inspiration, beauty, and creativity by looking through the singular lens with which Roger views the world.
Roger & James Deakins will be in conversation with Monty Halls.
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Simon Munnery
We are very excited to welcome Simon back to the Flavel.
About Simon Munnery
Simon is a British Comedy Award nominee, Chortle Award winner, Perrier Award nominee, and Sony Radio Award winner. He's had his own Radio 1 series and several Radio 4 series, along with several cult television series including BBC2's Attention Scum. His most recent television appearances include The Alternative Comedy Experience (Comedy Central), It's Kevin and Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle (BBC2).
'One of the funniest, most original comedians of the past twenty years' (The Guardian)
'Convention-defying, innovative stuff. Simon Munnery is a must-see' (The Times)
'Simon Munnery is an avant-garde comedy god' (Time Out)
'Intelligence, wit and originality... Simon Munnery, the God particle of Alternative Comedy' (Chortle).
Saturday 26th September 2026
Tickets £20 which includes £1.50 MyFlavel venue levy
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Songs from the Shore
SONGS FROM THE SHORE
So here we are right in the moment, grains of sand making the shore
Like birds that migrate in the winter, when the first chill meets the sea
Like an old photo you thought you’d thrown out
Melodies of old songs they piece back together
Like the moon & the tides, returns night after night after night after night after night
Songs from the Shore is a new storytelling folk gig theatre show about the South Devon coast - its landscapes, its people & its stories.
Inspired by the experiences of those living near and belonging to the coast as well as its raw natural beauty, Songs from the Shore mixes live music with real stories and imagined fables, exploring the challenges and joys of living coastally in the context of an ecologically collapsing world.
Be swept along the South Devon coastline on a tide of salt-soaked songs and newly spun fables. This is where the spirit of the shore rises to meet us.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE :Tickets
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Swing That Music with Down for the Count All-Stars
Down for the Count recreate classic tunes from the Swing Era, but this is no mere nostalgia trip – the band perform each song in their own unmistakeable style, breathing new life into the best vintage music. Combine that with the band’s top class instrumental solos, sublime vocal performances, Join the UK’s hardest swinging band Down for the Count All-Stars for “one hellova celebration of vintage music” (Time Out London) – it’s time to Swing That Music!
Described as “a breath of fresh air on the swing scene” (Twinwood Festival) Down for the Count’s 10-piece mini big band is regularly found in jazz clubs across the UK and abroad (Ronnie Scott’s London, Le Caveau de la Huchette Paris), at festivals including London Jazz Festival, and on BBC Radio. Now they are bringing the sounds and feels of the best jazz clubs to theatres around the country – with an electrifying show full of incredible energy, musicianship, and their own signature wry wit and humour.
In the band’s updated show for 2026, you’ll hear instrumental songs from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, vocal classics from singers such as Nat ‘King’ Cole, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and original arrangements of jazz standards penned by musicians in the band.
and irresistible warmth and joie de vivre, and you get a show that will leave you feeling uplifted and wanting more.
“Awesome!!!” Michael Bublé
“My first impulse on leaving Cadogan Hall in the wake of a standing ovation on Sunday evening was to ask permission to lay 10 stars on this outstanding gig rather than the usual five.” Jazz Journal
Tickets £25
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The Big Lebowski (18)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Showing as part of Reflections: A Roger Deakin retrospective - a series of films celebrating the cinematography of Dartmouth’s Academy Award Winner.
The Big Lebowski begins with a case of mistaken identity which escalates when Jeffrey Lebowski - alias The Dude - attempts to seek recompense for the despoilation of his ratty-ass little rug, and then finds himself entangled in a kidnapping caper as a bagman - a situation that goes from bad to worse due to the interference of his hapless bowling partners.
In The Big Lebowski the Coen brothers have taken on the preoccupations of Raymond Chandler, but have given them a postmodern spin, while at the same time leaving Philip Marlowe's ethos intact as The Dude wanders through the fractured world of nineties LA trying to do the right thing. Like the award-winning Fargo, The Big Lebowski is suffused with a droll humour and a verbal felicity that is as delightful as it is startling.
This classic screening is presented as part of Dartmouth Book Festival 2026 – at which Sir Roger will be talking about his new book: Reflections.
The Flavel | Roger and James Deakins : Reflections: On Cinematography
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The End of Oak Street (12A)
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighbourhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they navigate their now unrecognizable surroundings.
Starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, THE END OF OAK STREET also stars Maisy Stella and Christian Convery. The film is written and directed by David Robert Mitchell and produced by J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Jon Cohen, David Robert Mitchell, Matt Jackson and Tommy Harper. The executive producers are Chris Bender, Jake Weiner, Joanne Lee and Leeann Stonebreaker.
Tickets £9 Adults £6.20 Under 16’s
All tickets include a venue levy £2 per adult and £1.50 under 16’s
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The Incomer (15)
Set on a remote Scottish island, two siblings survive by hunting seabirds, retelling the stories of their ancestors, and defending the isle from dreaded ‘Incomers’. Their world is upended with the arrival of an awkward council worker who has come to uproot them from their homeland.
STARRING
Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez, with John Hannah
Tickets £9 Adults £6.20 Under 16’s
All tickets include a venue levy £2 per adult and £1.50 under 16’s
The Owl and the Nightingale - Poetry Group
In this session, members of Dartmouth Poetry Group invite you to share their love of poetry.
There will be readings from Simon Armitage's The Owl and the Nightingale.
Dartmouth Poetry Group are poetry enthusiasts who meet monthly at The Flavel. New members are always welcome to come and share in their love of poetry.
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The Storyteller’s Journey : Keith Rossiter and Jonathan Posner
Join writers Jonathan Posner and Keith Rossiter on an adventure into the world of imagination.
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. He has also written and published two anthologies; one of short stories and the other of ‘old bloke having a rant’ articles. Earlier works include libretto and lyrics for three full-length stage musicals plus a one-act play. Jonathan gets a thrill from seeing his books in print and getting great 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 set in Greece, The Chaos Game, a young adult novel White Raven, and a novel for middle-grade readers, Shadow Lands: The Poacher’s Trap. He is also a screenwriter and filmmaker.
He admits that in the years since leaving journalism he has been on a steep learning curve – and he is eager to share that adventure with new and improving writers.
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Three Rivers : Robert Winder
Robert Winder was Literary Editor of the Independent (where he ran the Foreign Fiction Award for translated novels) and Deputy Editor of Granta. He is the author of many titles (both fiction and non-fiction) including Bloody Foreigners: The Story of Immigration to Britain and The
Last Wolf: The Hidden Springs of Englishness. The former helped inspire the Migration Museum Project, which aims to create a major museum on the theme of migration in Britain and for which he was a founder trustee.
Three rivers: the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po. Each one coursing down from a single patch of Alpine ice in the jagged heights of Switzerland. Together they gave birth to three different European cultures – German, French and Italian. The very heart of Western Europe – its languages, religion and agriculture, its science, politics and art – has been nourished by these waters, from the Romanesque buttresses and vines of Provence to the Wagnerian music of the Rhine and the artistic miracles of Lombardy.
Setting off from the dramatic mountain landscape where this story begins, acclaimed historian
Robert Winder traces the rivers’ journeys, revealing in shimmering detail their impact on Europe’s rich history as they flow towards the sea.
‘Full of flavour and sparkle.’ The Sunday Times.
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U3A Classics :The Greatest of all Classical Greek Temples (and it's not the Parthenon)
The Greatest of all Classical Greek Temples (and it's not the Parthenon)
Presented by Wiz Tehel
Continuing the series on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Wiz presents the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.
Besides being one of the largest of any Greek temples, it's beauty and elegance earned its fame and reputation.
As well as learning about this Wonder, Wiz will also explore Greek temples in general. How were they built, used, and how many of them were lost forever.
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