Three online events from June and July 2020, in which author Peter Fiennes draws you into the world of famous writers who explored English city and countryside:
A Footnote to Charles Dickens
No author is as inextricably linked with London as Charles Dickens. The city and the times he lived through fed his imagination, and in turn his vision has shaped the way we see London and ourselves. His descriptions of London life are as vivid as they ever were. Renowned for his speedy walking as well as his copious output, Dickens is the perfect guide to Victorian London. Wherever you tread, Dickens may well have stepped before you … and the city still teems with Dickensian traces, in fact as well as in his fiction.
Marking the 150th anniversary of Dickens’ death on the 9th June 1870, we take a look at a cross-section of his life and a tour through London, the city he made his own.
A Footnote to Wilkie Collins
In August 1850 the 26-year-old Wilkie Collins set off on a tour of Cornwall, at a time when the Great Western Railway went no further than Plymouth. Accompanied by artist Charles Henry Brandling, they made their way ‘a-foot’ to many of the Cornish tourist hotspots we know today, with Wilkie hoping to discover an ancient, wild Cornwall, of runes and druids, before the railways changed everything. Wilkie went on to write many novels and plays, and when the Woman in White was published in 1860 he became, briefly, ’the most famous man in London’.
Marking the 170th anniversary of Wilkie Collins’ Rambles beyond Railways, his fascinating travelogue “a-foot”, we examine this key moment in his life and take a tour that starts in London and delves deep into Cornwall, past and present.
A Footnote to Somerville and Ross
Edith Somerville and Violet Martin (aka Martin Ross) were the authors of the hugely popular ‘Irish R.M.’ stories. Even after Violet Martin’s early death, Edith Somerville insisted that her name should continue to appear on their new books as co-author.
In 1895, before their years of fame, they set off on horseback around north Wales and to climb Snowden, writing and sketching for the book that became “Beggars on Horseback: A Riding Tour in North Wales’. They were quite a sight for the times: two young women, travelling together, encumbered by safety skirts, riding habits and wide-brimmed hats, their hired horses reeling under over-stuffed holdalls, shying and zigzagging down the high street in Welshpool before galloping off ‘to the unknown and the unpronounceable’. The resulting travel book is a joy from start to finish.
Related
Footnotes
A Journey Round Britain in the Company of Great Writers Through past and present, the country and the city, Peter Fiennes takes a literary journey through the British Isles ‘As enjoyable a guide to the relationship of writers to the landscape of Britain as one could hope to read: beautifully written, moving in its reflections,
En Route
A Journey Round France in the Company of Great Writers From the coast of Normandy to the Côte d’Azur, along the banks of the Seine to the Alps – the ultimate literary tour of France. ‘Peter Fiennes’s brisk literary travelogue is witty and packed with gossip; it moves at the speed of a TGV, with
Tree or False?
Devised by Andrew Stuck of the Museum of London, this walkshop became a regular event as part of the Mayor of London’s London Tree Week, and subsequent Urban Tree Festivals. Everyone has heard ‘an old wives’ tale’ about a certain tree species, some of which have a layer of truth within them, others are downright
• One Small Step creative writing walkshop
A creative writing walkshop for novice or experienced writers who want to learn more about ‘flash fiction’ an exciting short form of story telling which is growing in popularity. Led by Rebekah Lattin-Rawstrone, an accomplished writer and acclaimed writing tutor, you will be invited to draw inspiration from the space race to walk on the moon, that was
• Between the Lines
Andrew Stuck has a fascination with writers who draw from place. It is probably something to do with the fact that as walkers, we are out carving our way through space and experiencing places, one step at a time. Andrew doesn’t count himself as a great writer so really appreciates those who can write a
• Haiku Encounter
Can poetry inspire people to discover their city on foot? We think it can and want to make that happen – here in London and elsewhere in the world. With your help, we shall. 80,000 restIn Paddington Street GardensAs I walk to work We are looking for your help in making this happen – we
• Nordic Walking – Beckenham Place Park
A 90 minute taster session to inspire novices on the delights and fitness benefits of Nordic Walking by Sonya Brennanan accredited instructor in the beautiful setting of Beckenham Place Park. Nordic Walking uses poles in order to add two major benefits to walking. It is one of the fastest growing fitness activities in the UK: Want to hear more about Nordic
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