Beatrix Potter and the Tale of the Westcountry (Lit & Art Section)

A talk by Emma Laws, Exeter Cathedral Librarian. To be given online via Zoom.

Before her marriage in 1913, Beatrix Potter accompanied her family on extended holidays to the countryside and coast. Visits to the Westcountry gave Beatrix the idea for The Tale of Little Pig Robinson; she published the tale in 1930 but drew inspiration from her memories of an early visit to Ilfracombe in 1883. The story takes place in ‘Stymouth’ – a fictional blend of Sidmouth, Teignmouth, Ilfracombe and Lyme Regis.

Emma Laws is the Exeter Cathedral Librarian, and former Director of Collections and Research at the Devon and Exeter Institution. For over 20 years she was the Frederick Warne Curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  An authority on book design and Illustration, Emma has published widely, particularly on Beatrix Potter, Edward Ardizzone and Walter Crane, and has co-authored major books on Winnie-the-Pooh (V&A Publishing 2017) and Beatrix Potter (V&A Publishing, 2021).

Contact the Organiser (details below) to receive log-in details for the Zoom session.

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