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


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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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.


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



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


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


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


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.

LM2304L1752172.indd 1 19/04/2016 12:40

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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


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


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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Wednesday 13 July – Great Hall


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


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


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


20 Julia Shaw 10

21 Decca Aitkenhead 10

22 Charles Fernyhough 10

23 Polly Morland 10

24 The Imitation Game - Film 10


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


33 Laura Dawes 10

34 Dean Burnett 10

35 Ian Robertson 10

36 Andrew Lees 10

37 Fay Bound Alberti 10


TUESDAY 12 JULY

38 Tony Garnett 10

39 Chris Wadsworth 10

40 Lappas & Blanchard 10

41 Michael Bird 10

42 Katy Norris 10


43 Diana Darke 10

44 David Crystal 10

45 Fay Weldon 10

46 Alice Roberts 10

47 Jill Dawson 10

48 Diarmaid MacCulloch 10


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


55 Jeremy Lewis 10

56 Edward Wilson-Lee 10

57 Lucinda Hawksley 10

58 Dawson & Wilson + Film 15


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


66 James Macdonald Lockhart 10

67 Tristan Gooley 10

68 Richard Fortey 10

69 Oliver Balch 10

70 Anna Pavord 10


FRIDAY 15 JULY

71 Pearson & Ward 10

72 Harry Parker 10

73 Rosa Prince 10

74 Daniel Todman 10

75 Andrew Lownie 10


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


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


88 Chris Bickerton 10

89 Charlotte McDonald-Gibson 10

90 John Gimlette 10

91 Xinran 10

92 Luke Harding 10


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


102 Miranda Sawyer 10

103 Frances Borzello 10

104 Paula Byrne 10

105 Juliet Nicolson 10


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



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



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



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



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

Barn

£10

901.30pm

Barn

£10

913.15pm

Barn

£10

925pm

Barn

£10

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.



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.

9711am

Great Hall

£10

9812.45pm

Great Hall

£10

992.30pm

Great Hall

£10

1004.15pm

Great Hall

£10

Paul Kingsnorth Jonathan Bate Laura Thompson Satish Kumar



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

Barn

£10

1031pm

Barn

£10

1042.30pm

Barn

£10

1054.15pm

Barn

£10

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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ways with words 2016 brochure

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