Peak District National Park (National Trust)
When: 12.08.2019 to 16.08.2019
Where: Dovedale
Places of Poetry will be based at Dovedale between Mon 12 - Sun 18 August, where in the 1930s F.A. Holmes campaigned for it to become the first UK national park. The mass trespass at Kinder Scout, and the wider movement of which it was a part of, demonstrated the power of a group of people standing together in a shared place with a shared vision. The Peak District was designated the UK’s first national park in 1951 after a long campaign started by James Bryce MP in the 1880s, and the introduction of the first freedom to roam bill in parliament.
Sarah Howe wiill be poet-in- residence. On Wed 14 and Thurs 15 she will be encouraging visitors to add words to a ‘word wall’, made of fabric – “why is Dovedale special to you?” and to write a poem about Dovedale and the Peak District. Throughout the week there will be excerpts of historic poetry written onto slates, on the path through the valley. On Friday 16 Sarah will be leading a poetry walk, from Ilam to Dovedale (Lover’s Leap) and back. This is a bookable event, max 12 people, tickets £5, 10am – 12.30pm. To book a place please Tel: 01335 350503 (unfortunately we cannot allow dogs.)
A brief bio of Sarah. Sarah Howe was born in Hong Kong in 1983 to an English father and Chinese mother, and moved to England as a child. Her pamphlet, A Certain Chinese Encyclopaedia, was published in 2009, and she received an Eric Gregory Award in 2010. She lives in Cambridge and London. Loop of Jade (Chatto and Windus 2015) was her first collection, and was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.
Photo of Peaks c NT John Millar
Photo of River c NT Neil Jakeman
