Words on the Quay

This summer will see an exploration of words and stories taking place at the historic Custom House on Exeter Quay.

Hosted by Literature Works – the literature development agency for South West England – Quay Words 2019 takes place from 29 June to 3 August, and includes readings, writings workshops, one-to-one surgeries, a pop-up bookshop, and much more. From Icelandic Noir crime writing, to story time for young children, there’s something for everyone.

On 11 July, poet Raymond Antrobus will be reading from his Ted Hughes prize-winning debut collection, The Perseverance, which explores the deaf experience, the death of his father and the failure to communicate. On 25 July, Cornish novelist Patrick Gale talks about and reads from his latest bestseller, Take Nothing With You, a sad-funny comedy of resilience and survival. On 5 July, there’s a group workshop on the art of telling a traditional story, run by Artemis Storytelling’s Katy Cawkwell, who has more than 20 years’ experience of working as a performance storyteller.

Louisa Adjoa Parker. Photo by Robert Golden

For the duration of the festival, Louisa Adjoa Parker – as the first-ever writer in residence at Exeter Custom House – will be uncovering and transforming local stories from her own perspective. Louisa hopes to draw on the site’s history to create new work – her own and others’. This might take the form of poetry, stories, or both. She is especially interested in previously untold stories and the lives of the ordinary people who have passed through the building and surrounding area. She plans to use a mixture of the site itself, historical records and talking to local people as inspiration for her time at the Custom House, during which she will run at least two creative writing workshops for the Exeter community, as well as sharing the stories she uncovers as inspiration.

You can find the full programme and ticket information here.