A Dorset writer will explore the hidden stories behind Britain’s chalk figures at a special event taking place next week.
Jon Woolcott will appear at The King’s Arms Hotel in Dorchester on Tuesday, September 15, for an evening talk about the mysterious and striking hillside figures that dot the British landscape.
The event, organised by Dorchester bookshop Teasel & Skylark, will begin at 7pm and will focus on Mr Woolcott’s latest book, The Tattooed Hills: Journeys to Chalk Figures.
A spokesman for Teasel & Skylark said: "Jon is exactly the sort of writer we love bringing to Dorchester.
"The Tattooed Hills combines landscape, walking, history, folklore and a wonderfully curious eye for the oddities hidden in familiar places.
"For anyone who has driven past the Osmington White Horse, stood beneath the Cerne Abbas Giant or wondered about the mysterious marks scattered across the chalk hills of southern England, this should be a fascinating evening.
"And The King’s Arms feels like the perfect place to hear these stories – an historic Dorchester hotel for a book all about history, place and the landscapes around us."
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Tickets for the event are priced at £5 for entry, or £18.50 for entry plus a signed copy of The Tattooed Hills, which offers a 25 per cent discount on the book’s retail price.
They can be purchased from Teasel & Skylark Bookshop on Trinity Street or online via teaselandskylark.com.
The book blends travel writing with cultural history, exploring the origins and meanings of chalk figures such as white horses, giants, crosses and military badges.
Mr Woolcott, who is based in Dorset, has long-standing ties to the county’s literary scene through his work with Little Toller Books, an independent publisher focused on nature and landscape writing.
His previous book, Real Dorset, was published in 2023.
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