OWPG: Media News Bulletin Summer 2018 | Page 15

Andrew Bibby Literary tour A ndrew Bibby is currently half-way through a series of engagements at literary festivals, linked to his recent title Back Roads through Middle England. His book, which uses the narrative device of a cycle ride made along the belt of Jurassic limestone (sometimes described as cotswold stone) from west Dorset to north Lincolnshire, delves deep into the landscapes of ‘middle England’ . In the process Andrew turns to a wide range of disciplines, including social history, economics, and literature, to help him try to communicate why the countryside looks the way it does – and whether the landscape can offer any insights into what ‘Englishness’ might mean in these troubled times of political change. So far this year Andrew has spoken to well-attended events in Halifax, Wellingborough and – most recently – at the Lowdham Literary Festival in Nottinghamshire. His forthcoming engagements are: Sat Sep 15 Durlston Country Park, near Swanage, Dorset Fri Sep 21 Oundle Book Festival, Oundle, Northants Thu Oct 4 Ilkley Literature Festival, Ilkley, W Yorks Wed Nov 21 Todmorden Book Festival, Todmorden, W Yorks Andrew has given the title of his talk How to Read the English Landscape. He features in the talk three particular villages: Steeple Barton (where WG Hoskins wrote his seminal book The Making of the English Landscape), Juniper Hill (the real-life Lark Rise, written about by Flora Thompson) and Charterville near Minster Lovell, a working-class land community from the 1840s which remains distinctively different today. Back Roads through Middle England is published by Gritstone Publishing at £13.95. Trade distribution is by Cordee. For review copies, contact the publisher at [email protected]. Contact Andrew... telephone 01422 844026 email [email protected] website www.andrewbibby.com