The Telegraph Ways With Words Festival of Words and Ideas
at Dartington Hall, July 4-14, 2014

That Festive Feel

Over 10 days from the 4 - 14 July more than a hundred speakers will gather in the stunning setting of Dartington Hall for the Ways With Words festival.

This year will include a whole range of writers on different subjects and from a variety of backgrounds. Jonathan Miller, the amazing polymath from the world of opera, film, sculpture, medicine, will give the opening talk at the festival. Journalist and author Kate Adie will speak alongside politician Liam Fox; actress Rebecca Front will rub shoulders with musician Harrison Birtwistle. Helen Dunmore, Paddy Ashdown, Simon Jenkins, James Lovelock, George Monbiot, Sandi Toksvig – will all make their way to Devon for the festival.

Roy, Lord Hattersley, the President of the festival has programmed a special day of events on Saturday 12 July, with speakers that he particularly admires. These will include Dame Helena Kennedy, speaking on ‘Whose Human Rights Are They Anyway?’ Dame Penelope Lively on the process of ageing and 80 years spent in changing political and social times and Professor Anthony King on ‘Government Gaffs’! The following morning, Sunday 13 July, Lord Hattersley will give a talk titled ‘ In Praise of Political Ideology’.

The Ways With Words team aims to bring together those that read books together with those that write them. It is a meeting of people who love words and ideas. Novelists, poets, journalists, artists, historians, scientists, politicians, philosophers, and more will contribute to the mix.

At Dartington there are landscaped gardens, rolling Devon hills and medieval buildings as well as many quiet places for reading, thinking and contemplating between events, but conversation is probably the defining characteristic of the festival and there will be lots of talking at Dartington Hall this summer.

“You see people gathered together in pairs or small groups, sitting under trees or in deckchairs, talking over the last event,” says Kay Dunbar, the festival director. “They’re discussing the ideas and arguments they’ve just heard. This seems to me one of the most enjoyable and valuable aspects of all Ways With Words events. ”

For visitors to Ways With Words at Dartington Hall, the memories of the place and the events that they’ve loved stay with them for the rest of their lives. With so many inspiring speakers each year it’s an incredible festival to attend.