Literary Lunch with Iain Dale, 250 Years of American Democracy

Friday 13 November, 12 noon – 2.30, Tarr Farm Inn

Iain Dale

Join us for the Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival 2026 Literary Lunch – 250 Years of American Democracy – at Exmoor’s beautiful Tarr Farm Inn, where a delicious two-course meal will be followed by an entertaining and insightful conversation with broadcaster, historian and political commentator Iain Dale.

Iain Dale

Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Iain will explore his acclaimed book US Presidential Election Campaigns 1789 to 2024, a fascinating history of the contests that have shaped the world’s most powerful democracy. The book comprises 60 distinct chapters, each devoted to a single presidential election and written by leading contributors from the worlds of politics, academia and journalism. Together they chart the personalities, rivalries, scandals and defining moments that have shaped American political life from George Washington’s unopposed election to the fiercely contested campaigns of the modern era.

Known for his wit, knowledge and engaging speaking style, Iain brings history vividly to life, revealing how presidential campaigns have reflected the changing character of the United States while influencing politics around the world.

This special lunchtime event offers the perfect opportunity to begin the Festival Weekend, enjoy good food, lively conversation and fresh insights into 250 years ‘across the pond’!

Tickets £48 to include a two course lunch and coffee (menu choices to be made when booking online tickets).

 

The Art of Exmoor Magazine

Friday 13 November, 3.30 – 4.30pm, Dulverton Town Hall

Naomi Cudmore, Shaun Davey and Victoria Eveleigh

What makes a magazine something people keep, rather than simply read? For almost thirty years, Exmoor Magazine has answered that question with beautifully crafted writing, outstanding photography and a deep love of the place it calls home. It is not part of any chain, but is owned, run and produced here on Exmoor. If there is such a thing as ‘slow publishing’, this is it. It is a one-off, quarterly magazine. Every issue is carefully crafted using a team of local writers – all specialists in their fields – and local photographers. Exmoor Magazine prides itself on its original research and boasts an impressive archive of thousands of in-depth features covering landscapes, the environment, food and farming, flora and fauna, local characters, community endeavours, local history and much more.

L to R: Naomi Cudmore, Shaun Davey, Victoria Eveleigh

In this rare opportunity to meet some of the people behind the magazine, editor and part-owner Naomi Cudmore is joined by photographer Shaun Davey and writer, author and Exmoor farmer Victoria Eveleigh. Together they will reveal how ideas become features, how photographs capture the spirit of a place, and why telling authentic local stories still matters.

Whether you are a loyal reader, a lover of Exmoor or simply fascinated by writing, photography and publishing, this promises to be a warm and inspiring conversation about creativity, collaboration and the enduring value of independent journalism.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)

Hope Bourne – A Life Outside on Exmoor

Friday 13 November, 5 – 7pm, Dulverton Town Hall

Sara Hudston and Charles Foster

The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival is extremely proud to be hosting the official launch of A Life Outside: Hope Bourne on Exmoor, an important new biography, written by Sara Hudston and published by The Exmoor Society that celebrates one of Exmoor’s most original and compelling voices. This special event marks the return of Hope Bourne (1918 – 2010) to the forefront of British nature writing, introducing a new generation of readers to a woman whose life and work were decades ahead of their time.

Sara Hudston and Charles Foster

Writer, artist and naturalist, Hope Bourne chose to live alone in a caravan on Exmoor without electricity, growing vegetables, shooting for the pot and living with extraordinary independence. Author Sara Hudston wrote: “Hope’s work has been unjustly overlooked in recent years. Her ecological awareness, rejection of materialism, and close relationship with the natural world are of increasing relevance today. Her extraordinary life and jewel-like art often grab the most attention, but it’s her writing that truly sets her apart. Her columns for the local paper are among the best of her work, and it’s really exciting to bring them to light again.”

Sara is joined at the Festival by writer, philosopher and academic Charles Foster, whose foreword celebrates the biography as “a masterpiece of detective work”. This unique event celebrates not only the launch of an important new book, but the enduring legacy of one of Exmoor’s most extraordinary characters.

Following the talk, the Town Hall bar will open for drinks, with the opportunity to enjoy some items from the Hope Bourne exhibition that has been touring in advance of the book’s publication and will be on display in the Parish Rooms, Dulverton from 1st to 15th November 2026.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17).

Charles Dickens Rediscovered

Saturday 14 November, 10 – 11am, Dulverton Town Hall

Emily Howes and Helena Kelly

What happens when one of the world’s greatest novelists is seen through the eyes of the woman who knew him best? In this fascinating Festival author talk, award-winning historical novelist Emily Howes and literary biographer Helena Kelly will explore the life, marriage and legacy of 19th Century novelist Charles Dickens from strikingly different perspectives.

Emily Howes

Emily Howes’ powerful new novel, Mrs Dickens, gives voice to Catherine Dickens, whose long marriage to Charles Dickens ended in a deeply public separation that shaped her reputation for generations. Richly researched and emotionally compelling, the novel restores Catherine to the centre of her own story, illuminating the personal cost of life beside literary genius. Emily is the award-winning author of The Painter’s Daughters and has worked across theatre, television and radio as a writer, performer and director. She also practises as a psychotherapist.

Helena Kelly

Helena Kelly’s The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens offers a fresh and revealing portrait of Dickens himself, examining the myths he carefully created around his life and the truths they concealed. A literary biographer and acclaimed author of books about Jane Austen, which she brought to Dulverton in 2025, Helena will bring fresh insight at the Festival into one of Britain’s most celebrated writers.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)

Photography and Autism

Saturday 14 November, 10.00 – 11.00am, Dulverton Heritage Centre

Rosie Barnes

Rosie Barnes is an award-winning fine art documentary photographer, based in London. Her work explores the human condition, neurodivergence and our relationship with the non-human world. Over a thirty-year career she has developed long-form projects that challenge assumptions, expand public understanding, and give visibility to overlooked subjects.

Rosie Barnes

Neurodivergent herself, Rosie is known for her influential work on autism. Her book Understanding Stanley – looking through autism, published in 2014 was a groundbreaking visual study of autism and was widely reviewed and exhibited across Europe.

Her recent series – No You’re Not, Yes I Am – a portrait of autistic women, was part-funded by the Wellcome Collection and has been gathered into a book of 33 portraits (and extended interviews) of ‘high-masking’ autistic women. The work has this year been exhibited in London, Lincoln, Athens and Puglia, Italy. Two of the portraits were selected for the prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery and Rosie has spoken about the project at the National Galleries of Scotland.

In this inspiring event, Rosie will discuss the stories behind her photographs, the ethics of documentary portraiture, and the role photography can play in fostering empathy, understanding and lasting social change.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)

Poetry by the Fire

Saturday 14 November, 10.30 – 11.45am, The Bridge Inn, Dulverton

Jane Lovell and Mark Haworth-Booth

The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival is rooted here in Exmoor, so come along and sit beside the cosy woodburning stove at The Bridge Inn for a relaxed hour and a half of poetry inspired by the landscapes and wildlife of the moor.

Jane Lovell

Award-winning poets Jane Lovell and Mark Haworth-Booth will read from their latest collections, Tipping Point and The Thermobaric Playground. Together their poems celebrate the beauty, resilience and mystery of the natural world, while reflecting on the environmental changes that shape the places we love. Jane’s work explores humanity’s relationship with nature through Exmoor’s landscapes, birdlife and changing seasons, while Mark’s poetry draws on a lifetime of observing habitat, wildlife and the pressing challenges of biodiversity and climate change.

Mark Haworth-Booth

Warm, welcoming and informal, this is an opportunity to slow down, listen and enjoy two distinctive poetic voices in a lovely pub setting beside the River Barle in Dulverton. Whether you are a lifelong poetry lover or simply curious to discover something new, everyone is welcome.

Admission is FREE, with coffee and pastries available to purchase from the bar.

Jonathan Dimbleby and the Palestinians

Saturday 14 November, 11.30 – 12.30, All Saints Church Dulverton

Jonathan Dimbleby

Few conflicts have shaped the modern world as profoundly — or remain as fiercely contested — as that between the Israelis and the Palestinians. In The Palestinians, broadcaster, journalist and historian Jonathan Dimbleby returns to Dulverton to share his deeply researched and compelling account of the Palestinian people, tracing their history, identity and struggle from the final years of the Ottoman Empire to the present day.

 

Jonathan Dimbleby

Drawing on decades of reporting from the Middle East, Jonathan examines the historical events, political decisions and human experiences that have shaped the conflict, placing the lives of ordinary Palestinians at the heart of the story. Rich in historical detail and informed by first-hand experience, the book seeks to illuminate one of the most complex and misunderstood issues of our time, encouraging readers to look beyond headlines and slogans.

For more than five decades Jonathan has reported from around the world, presenting landmark television and radio programmes and writing acclaimed books on history, politics and international affairs. A great friend and supporter of the Festival, he has appeared here twice before, and we are hugely delighted to welcome him back. In this timely event, Jonathan will explore the history behind today’s Middle East, discuss the challenges of writing about such a contested subject, and consider why understanding the past remains essential to making sense of the present.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)

Writing Horses

Saturday 14 November, 11.30 – 12.30, Dulverton Town Hall

Celia Brayfield and Emily Haworth-Booth

Black Beauty was Anna Sewell’s only book, which was first published in 1877. Tragically she died just five months later, never to know the impact her writing would have on future generations. The novel was revolutionary in that it was the first anthropomorphic novel ever written – giving a horse its own voice and transforming public attitudes towards the treatment of horses in Victorian Britain. Almost 150 years later, its themes of compassion, justice and the relationship between humans and animals continue to resonate.

Celia Brayfield

 

In Writing Black Beauty, acclaimed novelist and biographer Celia Brayfield uncovers the remarkable story behind this literary classic and the extraordinary woman who wrote it. She explores Sewell’s life, the circumstances that inspired her only novel, and the profound influence Black Beauty has had on animal welfare and literature alike.

Emily Haworth-Booth

Celia is joined at the Festival by Emily Haworth-Booth, whose award-winning debut novel Mare is a tender, funny and life-affirming exploration of love, loss and contemporary (non)motherhood. At its heart is the profound relationship between a woman and a horse, asking what it means to care deeply for another living being.

Together, Celia and Emily will explore why horses have inspired writers for generations and how literature can deepen our understanding of the animals with whom we share our lives.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)

Crime & Conversation Writing Discussion

Saturday 14 November, 1.15 – 2.45, Dulverton Library

Sarah Easter Collins and Jayne Chard

This intimate Festival event, entitled Crime & Conversation, offers a rare opportunity to spend an informal hour and a half in Dulverton Library in the company of two outstanding crime writers.

Sarah Easter Collins

Author and Festival supporter Sarah Easter Collins, returns to Dulverton with her globally-acclaimed debut novel Things Don’t Break on Their Own which captivated readers with its psychological depth and emotional suspense.  Sarah studied at Exeter University before moving to Botswana, and later Thailand and Malawi. A graduate of the Curtis Brown creative novel-writing course, she now lives on Exmoor with her husband, son and two dogs.

Jayne Chard

Sarah is to be joined by television producer and novelist Jayne Chard. Jayne’s latest Julia and Frankie mystery, The Body That Floats, combines sharp wit with irresistible cosy crime. Following an award-winning career producing television dramas, including the BBC’s flagship brand Silent Witness, Jayne brings a wealth of storytelling experience to her fiction. She lives in the West Country with her partner and two “exceedingly cuddly” cockapoos, and was instrumental in establishing a veterinary clinic on the remote island of Koh Tao in Thailand.

This is not a writing workshop, but an informal, friendly discussion for readers who love crime fiction and might have some thrilling story ideas already up their sleeves! Sarah and Jayne will discuss the pleasures of creating memorable characters, building suspense, plotting the perfect mystery and why crime remains one of the world’s most popular genres. With audience numbers limited, there will be the opportunity to ask questions and enjoy an engaging conversation with two accomplished storytellers.

Tickets £18

Garden Design

Saturday 14 November, 1.00 – 2.00pm, Dulverton Town Hall

Mary Keen & Joe Swift with Miranda Taylor

Join three distinguished voices from the world of gardening for an inspiring conversation in Dulverton Town Hall about the beauty, creativity and quiet rewards of cultivating the natural world. Internationally renowned garden designer Mary Keen is joined by BBC Gardeners World and RHS Chelsea Flower Show presenter Joe Swift, in conversation with local writer, editor and garden designer Miranda Taylor.

Mary Keen (top), Joe Swift and Miranda Taylor

At the heart of the event is Mary’s delightful new book, Diary of a Keen Gardener. Rather than celebrating grand estates and famous commissions, the book invites readers into the intimate world of Mary’s own garden and allotment, following the changing seasons through a year of observation, practical wisdom and quiet reflection. Blending horticultural knowledge with personal memoir, it reveals how gardening teaches patience, curiosity and a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Mary, Joe and Miranda will explore the pleasures and challenges of garden design, the changing relationship between people and plants, and why gardens remain places of beauty, creativity and renewal. Whether you are an experienced gardener or simply love admiring gardens from afar, this promises to be a thoughtful, entertaining and inspiring Festival panel talk.

Tickets £12 adults £6 children (under 17)