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.
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:
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.
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.