Dartington and Ways With Words Celebrate Devon’s Famous Festival of Ideas
From 11 – 20 July The Dartington Hall Trust throws open its doors to one of the top literature events in the UK calendar – celebrating 18 years and beyond of words and ideas at one of the UKs most inspirational locations.
This year the grounds of Dartington Hall and the medieval courtyard will be walked by famous figures from the world of literature, journalism, education, comedy and politics – including Sandi Toksvig, Satish Kumar, Kate Adie, Tony Benn, Jonathan Dimbleby, Esther Rantzen and Jon Snow.
Festival Director Kay Dunbar said, “Ways With Words often gets labelled as a pure literature festival but in the spirit of the Dartington tradition it is also a celebration of ideas; ideas that challenge the politics of this country, ideas about sustainable living and ideas addressing the cultural climate in which we live. It’s a great event that Devon should be very proud of”
During the 10-day festival, well-known literary and political figures will examine issues surrounding sustainability, culture and social justice. ’Christina Lamb one of Britain’s most respected journalists will be exploring the consequences of conflict through her book ‘Small Wars Permitting’, while Martin Bell will cast a critical eye on the last 11 years of the Labour government.
Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow and Philippe Sands will consider the controversial new 18 techniques of interrogation and author Ziyad Marar will be examining the nature of deception in modern culture and asking the question ‘can we live a truly honest life?
Key local figures will also be joining the lively debate -with Guy Watson from Riverford Farm talking about the blossoming success of the local produce market and Dartington’s very own BBC2 ‘Earth Pilgrim’ Satish Kumar, who will be presenting ideas about spirituality in relation to everyday life.
Vaughan Lindsay Chief Executive of The Dartington Hall Trust says, “It is no coincidence that a festival of words and ideas takes place at Dartington – an inspirational location that prides itself on its courage to question and the pioneering individuals who find inspiration here. We are incredibly proud to play host to this internationally recognised event, which gets better and better with each passing year.”
The Dartington Hall Trust is a registered charity no. 279756. Company
no. 1485560
Registered Office: The Elmhirst Centre, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon
TQ9 6EL United Kingdom.
Telephone 01803 847000; Fax 01803 847007;