The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival 2024

It’s a wrap!

The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival 2024 was a huge success over the weekend of 16 and 17 November with sell out talks and many hundreds of books signed and sold.

“The Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival authors help make the town sparkle!”  Such was the headline from the West Somerset Free Press on 22 November.

Great article from the West Somerset Free Press

Festival Feedback

Jonathan Dimbleby wrote “The atmosphere [at the Dulverton Festival] was wonderful and the enthusiasm of the volunteers as well as the audience made it an outstanding experience.  I am, of course, glad that Endgame 1944 sold out.”  Historical biographer, Andrew Lownie, who was interviewing Jonathan remarked “Dulverton is a wonderful literary festival, with a sense of community and fellowship that you don’t get anywhere else.”  High praise indeed!

Festival Director, Ali Pegrum said she received many complimentary emails and messages from speakers, sponsors and audience members, with one bestselling author describing the Festival as “a jewel in Somerset’s crown!”

Jonathan Dimbleby (L) and Andrew Lownie signing books.

All the author talks were packed in Dulverton Town Hall, with Jonathan Dimbleby on Saturday, and Caroline Quentin on Sunday both selling out – not a seat in the house! Jonathan knows Exmoor well and was enchanted by the Festival, the warm welcome, the rapt audience and the intelligent questions asked around his talk about World War II in 1944 and his book Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War.   Jonathan was interviewed by Andrew Lownie who brought along his own book of the period, the biography of infamous ‘Cambridge spy’ Guy Burgess, entitled Stalin’s Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess.

Caroline Quentin has said she was “thrilled” to have been in Dulverton and how the talk was received with the audience.  She told the Hall that over the years she has travelled across the globe, but that Exmoor is her favourite place and she would never want to live anywhere else. Her book Drawn to the Garden is her personal and charming horticultural journey.  She was interviewed by former Editorial Director of Good Housekeeping Magazine, Gaby Huddart.

Caroline Quentin (L) and Gaby Huddart

Saturday 16 November 2024

The Saturday began with a wonderful, emotional talk with a panel of Exmoor’s farmers talking around the beautiful book Exmoor Farms: A Year on the Moor with images displayed on the large screen.  Commissioned by the Exmoor Hill Farming Network and The Exmoor Society, and written by Victoria Eveleigh with photographs by Eleanor Davis, it charts a farming year on the moor in words and photographs.

Discussing the book ‘Exmoor Farms: A Year on the Moor’ are (L to R) farmer Alan Collins, editor Jane Pearn, farmers Jack Buckingham and Ian May (chairman of the Exmoor Hill Farming Network).

Author Victoria Eveleigh signing a copy of her book ‘Exmoor Farms: A Year on the Moor’

Whilst author talks were taking place in the Town Hall, local author and Celtic harpist Hazel Prior read from her bestselling novels in the Bridge Inn whilst playing her harp. On the Sunday morning, the Bridge Inn played host to a Festival ‘Children’s Story Corner’ with children’s writers and illustrators Emily Hamilton and Emma Bettridge reading their books to young families.  Both sessions were free to attend and thoroughly enjoyed by all, with the Bridge Inn welcoming everyone with the cosy woodburning stove alight and coffee and pastries to savour.

Professor Charles Foster with Rachel Campbell Johnston

Later on Saturday morning in the Town Hall multi-award winning author Professor Charles Foster made a passionate case for humans to change our ways when discussing his new book Cry of the Wild: Eight Animals Under Siege with Rachel Campbell Johnston.  This was an extremely popular and humbling session.  Charles himself described writing this book as a “thrilling and disturbing journey”.

Deborah Meaden and Claer Barrett with copies of their books

Deborah Meaden filled the hall on Saturday afternoon, interviewed by author and Financial Times columnist Claer Barrett about her new book Deborah Meaden Talks Money. A hugely fun hour deconstructing finance for young people (and older ones!).  Tax, mortgages, ISAs, krypto currency, the value of money… Deborah was delighted to answer questions from the many teenagers in the audience asking thought-provoking questions around finance and business.

Deborah Meaden signing a copy of her book for Kaila Binding

Best-selling crime writers Louise Douglas (The Summer of Lies) and Sarah Easter Collins (Things Don’t Break on Their Own) held an informal ‘introduction to crime writing’ session in Dulverton Library on Saturday afternoon.  Another sell-out session enjoyed by enthusiastic future thriller writers.  Sarah commented after the event: “How wonderful it was to spend an entire weekend around books and the people who love them. Thank you especially to all the wonderful people who joined us to talk about crime writing: what a lively discussion it was- your contributions were brilliant!”

Thriller writers Sarah Easter Collins (L) and Louise Douglas in Dulverton Library

Novelist, fashion journalist and socialite Plum Sykes ended Saturday with an amusing conversation with Times journalist Alice Thomson discussing Plum’s latest novel Wives Like Us set in an imaginary Cotswold village and describing the lives and loves of its wealthy residents.  Many humorous comparisons were drawn between the residents of the Cotswolds and those of Exmoor, with the decision being taken that they are worlds apart!

Novelist Plum Sykes (L) chats with Times journalist Alice Thomson

Sunday 17 November 2024

Sunday morning began with racehorse breeder and owner Janet Vokes sharing her remarkable story about how she bred her own foal who was raised on her Welsh allotment and went on to win the Welsh Grand National! This extraordinary story was captured in Janet’s book Dream Horse and made into a Hollywood feature film too. She shared the stage with racing trainer Johnson White of Exmoor.  They were both interviewed by racing novelist Charles Blanning (author of Rags to Riches and Electric Rabbit) and the session proved to be an emotional roller coaster – laughter and tears in equal measure.  Janet has said she was overwhelmed by the warmth of her welcome in Dulverton and that this talk was the “best one she’d ever done” over many years!

The Racing Talk – L to R Charles Blanning, Janet Vokes and Johnson White

Janet Vokes signing copies of her book ‘Dream Horse’

This year’s Book Club talk, hosted by historical novelist Kate Lord Brown The Golden Hour, was on the theme of 20th Century Historical Fiction. A lively panel discussion with three multi-award winning, bestselling authors sharing their writing and inspiration with the audience.  Jennie Godfrey The List of Suspicious Things, Vanessa de Haan A Time to Live and Jessica Moor Hold Back the Night.  The session concluded with Kate Lord Brown reading out the winning entry from the Festival Children’s Writing Competition 2024 and the four authors handed out the prizes to the winner and runners up.

Book Club authors (L to R) Jennie Godfrey, Jessica Moor, Kate Lord Brown and Vanessa de Haan. With winning Writing Competition contestants (L to R) Toby Vigurs (winner) and runners up Jack Richards and Isla Elliott-Boyle

The competition this year was on the theme of ‘Magical Exmoor’ and received a record 65 entries from Somerset, Devon and event Kent!  It was won by Toby Vigurs (Year 5/6 at Bampton School) with runners up Jack Richards (age 7 from Wiveliscombe) and Isla Elliott-Boyle (age 6 from Cullompton).  Toby’s winning entry can be found below.

Stanley Johnson with travel editor Miranda Taylor

Exmoor resident, author, environmental campaigner and former politician Stanley Johnson concluded the Festival on Sunday afternoon with a lively session around his book In the Footsteps of Marco Polo.  This is Stanley’s 26th book and describes his remarkable journey retracing the footsteps of the 13th Century Venetian explorer across China.  Stanley and his youngest son Max clearly had an exciting and memorable journey. He was in conversation with travel writer and editor Miranda Taylor, who did a masterful job of keeping Stanley on topic when there was so much to talk about – the audience loved it!

Waterstones Barnstaple were thrilled with the quantity of book sales in their festival popup bookshop in the Entrance Hall, where authors were invited to sign books after each talk.  Many of the books were completely sold out on the day.

Richard Collis – one of the ‘Meet the Author’ writers in Dulverton Library

Another new and popular initiative at the Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival 2024 was the ‘Meet the Author’ session in the Library.  A number of authors (some local, some self-published) writing on a wide variety of topics, took space in Dulverton Library on Saturday afternoon to share their books and their writing with the public.  These included Jo Middleton, Zoe Gibson Quirk, Ian Parsons, Richard Collis and Powers Ian Mawby.

Dulverton Exmoor Literary Festival Children’s Writing Competition 2024

The theme for the 2024 Literary Festival Children’s Writing Competition (for children aged 13 and under) was ‘Magical Exmoor’ and a phenomenal 65 entries were received from across Exmoor, Devon, Somerset and even Kent!

Competition Judge and Historical Novelist Kate Lord Brown had a very difficult task choosing the winners, but was delighted to present the prizes on the Festival Sunday to Winner – Toby Vigurs, Year 5/6 from Bampton Primary School – and Runners Up – Isla Elliott-Boyle, age 6 from Cullompton and Jack Richards, age 7 from Wiveliscombe.  Congratulations to them all!

Here is Toby’s winning entry – “Magnificent Exmoor” – which was read out to a rapt audience by Kate Lord Brown.

Toby Vigurs – Magnificent Exmoor – Bampton Primary School