Interviews

Interview: Raynor Winn

October 10, 2018

Since travelling the South West Coastal Path, Raynor Winn has become a regular long-distance walker and writes about nature, homelessness and wild camping. On Monday 11th February Raynor will be at CCB talking about her highly acclaimed debut, The Salt Path. Q: What Book Changed your Life? A: The Women’s Room by Marilyn French I made my first train journey when I was 18. I’d just met an unbelievably beautiful young man who had exploded into my life in a long army … Read more

Devon Book Club: South West Coast Path Challenge

September 21, 2018

Ian, an avid reader and Goodreads user, started Devon Book Club a few years ago. Since then, the group has nurtured discussions about all things Devonshire and Book-related. We spotted his South West Coast Path Challenge and asked if he could tell us more: Devon Book Club has over 3000 members – readers, writers, booksellers, publishers, libraries, festivals and more, all united by a passion for books. We connect through Goodreads.com, on Facebook and on Twitter and occasionally meet (usually … Read more

Back-To-School: Volunteer Interview

August 31, 2018

Cathie (holding the book) is a CCB volunteer and a Granny, and works part time for the University of Exeter training primary teachers. Her invaluable experience makes her the perfect co-ordinator of our Schools Outreach Programme. We chatted to Cathie about her role in this week’s blog: In a nutshell, what’s your role at CCB? My role is to lead the schools outreach team. We identify local authors who would like to work with us and take them into schools, … Read more

Interview: Sue Viccars

March 23, 2018

Sue Viccars, Dartmoor Magazine editor and local author, worked for a London map publisher before grabbing the chance to return to Devon where she has spent 20 years commissioning walking, equestrian and countryside books for David & Charles Publishers. Since 2000 Sue has written or contributed to around 20 books (and edited dozens more) and written many magazine features, specialising in her home territory of southwest England, with particular reference to Dartmoor and Exmoor. Sue is coming to CCB in … Read more

Interview: Patrick Gale

February 23, 2018

Patrick Gale’s sixteenth novel, A Place Called Winter was a Radio 2 Book Club selection, was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Prize, the Walter Scott Prize and the Green Carnation Award and and is now being developed as a BBC serial. His two part film, Man in an Orange Shirt will be on BBC 1 this summer. He is a patron of the Charles Causley Trust and the Penzance LitFest, a director of Endelienta and artistic director of the North … Read more

Interview: Claire Barker

January 12, 2018

Claire is author of the Knitbone Pepper books, a series about a funny, friendly family of ghost animals who reside at crumbling Starcross Hall. Claire and Knitbone recently won the Simply Books X Factor award, voted for by 2,000 children, and were shortlisted for the Sainsburys Children’s Fiction Award in 2017. We’ve recently been visiting schools with Claire, who read to over 1000 children in just 3 days, and ran a hugely successful writer’s workshop at CCB. We asked Claire the … Read more

Interview: Jenny Balfour-Paul

September 19, 2017

Jenny Balfour-Paul is a writer, artist, international lecturer and intrepid traveller, with a life-long love of India. On Thursday 5th October we’ve an event with Jenny entitled Independence Blues: Stories of India, Indigo and Gandhi. Our favourite question to ask authors is ‘What book changed your life?’ and Jenny Balfour-Paul had a cracking answer. Q: What book changed your life? A: E. M. Forster’s last novel, A Passage to India, was a set book in my school English class and … Read more

Interview: Ann Cleeves

May 17, 2019

Ann Cleeves is the author of over thirty critically acclaimed novels and in 2017 was awarded the highest accolade in crime writing, the CWA Diamond Dagger. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez who can now be found on television in ITV’s Vera and BBC One’s Shetland. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide. Ann worked as a probation officer, bird observatory … Read more

Interview: Lucy Diamond

June 5, 2019

Lucy Diamond is the author of bestselling novels such as The Secrets of Happiness, The Beach Café and On A Beautiful Day. Her new novel, Something To Tell You, is set in York and features the Mortimer family who all have a secret to tell. Before becoming an author she worked in publishing and at the BBC, and started her writing career in children’s books as Sue Mongredien (her real name) as well as writing many of the Rainbow Magic … Read more