Reading the Forest
There is a long tradition of writing in and about the Forest. Our people, places and traditions have appeared in books of fiction, fact, and fable, poems, comedy and plays since at least the 18th century. This project team, led by Dr Roger Deeks and Dr Jason Griffiths, created a range of resources, activities and events to encourage people of all ages to engage with this rich seam of stories set in and about our Forest landscape.
What has the project delivered?
Working with local volunteers, authors and broadcasters, this project has successfully researched and raised awareness, locally and further afield, of the rich literary heritage of the Forest.
Jason eloquently celebrates the project's achievements:
Project delivery:
- Specialist education materials have been produced with teachers for use in support of school curricula in subjects such as English, History, Drama, and PSHE. See Reading the Forest 'Teacher Resources' and Reading the Forest 'Forest Literature Timeline'.
- Put on events, as well as working with existing local events, as opportunities for engagement, education and raising the profile of Forest literary heritage
- Published resources and podcasts on the Reading the Forest website
A "Forest of Dean Anthology" will be compiled and published in 2022, providing a free copy for every school and library - and hopefully for download as e-book via the website.
The project supported the entire Foresters' Forest programme, providing literary links and resources for e.g. Freeminers, ecologists, built heritage, archaeology etc. providing evidence of how Foresters lived and experienced the Forest habitat.
What can I get involved in?
Reading the Forest will continue to look for volunteers to carry out research, book review writing, author biographies, and to help with digital media content management.
Click here to go to the Reading the Forest website.