Wonderful Words
Last updated: 26/10/2009
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Wonderful Words 2008 - Journeys
In the past, Cornwall has seen mass emigrations. As the mines
closed across the county in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, miners travelled the globe in search of new mines where
their expertise would be welcomed and they could make money to send
home. They used to say that wherever there is a hole in the ground,
you will find a Cornishman at the bottom of it; and there are still
Cornish communities in mining districts in Australia, America and
elsewhere. So our opening event was held at the Cornwall Centre,
with a talk from Cornish archivist David Thomas who read from the
often very moving letters sent home by three very different young
Cornishmen who went abroad to seek their fortunes.
Fortune Seeking Here and There, was the title of an
exhibition at The Cornwall Centre throughout the festival,
presenting letters, journals and information about migrant workers
leaving Cornwall, provoking discussion and stimulating personal
memories which some people were happy to share with us. In
recent years, people from overseas have been coming to work in our
county. I Packed it Myself was an exhibition
from Bridging Arts showing what people from Poland and Portugal
might have brought to remind them of home, and inviting us to
note down things we would take if we were to leave Cornwall to work
abroad.
Continuing the theme, writers were commissioned to work with
primary schools exploring stories of migration, resulting in
presentations and exhibitions in libraries. One school for instance
learned about World War II evacuees; the children imagined
themselves in such a situation and wrote letters to their families
describing what it was like. In another school, the stories of
Polish and Lithuanian care workers as well as the experiences of
migrant children within the school were used as a basis for the
children's own creative writing.
The Big Read
As part of Wonderful Words, we encouraged as many people as
possible to read and talk about Marina Lewycka's Two
Caravans, which tells the interwoven stories of a group of
people from three continents who meet on an English strawberry
farm. We had 500 copies to give away, and Two Caravans was
one of our highest-issuing books during September. Marina was able
to join us in several locations to read from her book and talk
about her writing and her own family history.
Readers' Day
We held our first ever Readers' Day at University College
Falmouth, with contributions from Mac Dunlop, Patrick Gale, Simon
Hall, Marina Lewycka and John Siddique. With small group sessions,
panel discussions, interviews, and opportunities to chat to the
writers over coffee and lunch, this was a hugely successful
day.
More Journeys
Continuing the theme, we had Poems for the Spiritual Journey, a
reading by contemporary Cornish poets in the Cathedral. Writing the
Journey continued from our earlier Words for Well-being series,
with more workshops exploring how creative writing helps us on our
way through life. Louis de Bernieres and Ilone Antonius-Jones gave
a hugely entertaining evening of words and music based around
Louis' latest book A Partisan's Daughter - another migration
story.
There were a host of other events - writers in schools, Roald
Dahl Day and Paddington Parties in libraries, workshops,
story-tellers, literary and artistic town trails, story-telling and
The Big Read in the Royal Cornwall Hospital, crafts for adults and
children. Visiting writers included Colin Dexter, Robert Goddard,
James Long, Ralph McTell and Lesley Pearse. We are grateful for all
their input, and indebted to all the local writers and performers
without whom this festival could never happen.
Partners
We are also grateful to our principal funders Arts Council
England, to Kernow Education Arts Partnership, University
College Falmouth, Bridging Arts, Cornwall Record Office, Royal
Cornwall Hospital Trust, Truro Cathedral, St Neot Church, Poldark
Mine, Lapidus Cornwall, Falmouth Bookseller, Harbour Bookshop and
Waterstones.