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Jon Woolcott

@dorsetjonw

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Author Real Dorset (Seren), The Tattooed Hills (Aurum, 2026), editor Going to Ground, works Little Toller. Links to events, books, writing:

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The tour continues! A few more events this autumn for The Tattooed Hills: festivals and bookshops. I've really enjoyed the talks so far, and hope the audiences have too, but you'd have to ask them. Book event people are the best.

Tickets from the venues or the link in my bio.

@teaselandskylark @iowlf @yeovillitfest @realmagicbooks @bridlitfestival

@quartobooksuk @hardmanswainson

#thetattooedhills #booktour #chalkhills #nonfiction #chalkfigures by @dorsetjonw

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2 months ago

I will, one day (not yet), stop going on about my new book, The Tattooed Hills; Journeys to Chalk Figures. But some writers I really like said some very nice things.

If you fancy it or think the landscape-curious individual in your life might, then your local bookshop is the ideal place; or via the link in my bio.

In hardback, ebook and audio.

#thetattooedhills #newbook #nonfiction #travelwriting #chalkhillfigures

@quartobooksuk by @dorsetjonw

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5 months ago

Out next month!

@quartobooksuk @hardmanswainson

#thetattooedhills #newbook #nonfiction by @dorsetjonw

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7 months ago

A flying visit to three brilliant places. Firstly to the Battle of Britain bunker in Uxbridge . An extraordinary place from which the battle was directed. Great tour by Daisy and surprisingly moving.

Then to Wendover in the Chiltern Hills for an event at the truly excellent @realmagicbooks . Very busy event, such a great crowd, which included a group who regularly scour (clean) the Whipsnade Lion. And so pleased to see old friend Diana (@studioestornel) there.

The next day, onto the magnificent Rousham Gardens, created by William Kent on the banks of the Cherwell. Lots of green, classical allegory and dahlias, all of which I approve of.

#battleofbritainbunker #wendover #rousham #booktour #thetattooedhills by @dorsetjonw

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10 hours ago

Slightly less than 24 hours on the Isle of Wight for the literary festival @iowlf . Always a pleasure, and a pleasure to meet the dedicated volunteers, some fellow authors (all a LOT more famous than me) and especially readers. Such interesting questions at my talk.

Also always brilliant to catch up with chum @paulscottarmfield and see him in action running the festival bookshop. @medinabooksiow .

#isleofwight #isleofwightliteraryfestival #bookstagram #thetattooedhills #booktour by @dorsetjonw

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6 days ago

I took this photo about a year ago, from a very nice B&B bedroom in Cowes on the excellent Isle of Wight, while visiting top chap @paulscottarmfield for a celebration.

What a big boat! This weekend I'll be going back, on a much smaller boat (am fond of Red Funnel Ferries tho) for the literary festival @iowlf , where I'm doing a talk on Saturday afternoon. I'm on at the same time as Celia Imrie and Iain Dale so if I'm not your cup of tea, and it's entirely possible I'm not, then you can always nip out for either of them.

But I'm looking forward to bringing tales of chalky weirdness to the island, so if you fancy it, please come. I love the Isle of Wight; someone urgently needs to write a Sebald-ish book about it.

Tickets from the festival website or via the link in my bio.

#isleofwight #bookfestivals #thetattooedhills #isleofwightliteraryfestival #booktour

@quartobooksuk @hardmanswainson by @dorsetjonw

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12 days ago

A few days in Cornwall-Kernow: Truro and the wonderful Roseland Peninsula. We've been going for 20 years off and on (mostly on) and always find new footpaths and places to explore. This time, so many curlews on an estuarine walk. Also some excellent reading matter for the evenings, oh and signed copies of The Tattooed Hills available in @waterstonestru ...

#cornwall #kernow #walking #roselandpeninsula #newbook by @dorsetjonw

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14 days ago

In today's Guardian, a bit by me about a long walk from Lyme Regis to West Bay, including a scandal involving Henry Fielding, a disused church used by smugglers, Jane Austen and John Fowles, PJ Harvey, Mary Anning, a friable coast and the wrecks of Lyme Bay. Thanks to @andypietra for asking me to write it.

Link to the piece in Travel Guardian and via link in my bio.

#dorset #realdorset #lymeregis #westbay #travelwriting by @dorsetjonw

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16 days ago

A bit about my forthcoming events. God I look rough. And the captions say I'm going to some made up places.in fact it's the Isle of Wight, Wendover, Yeovil and Bridport. Links in my bio.

Hope to see some of you there.

@iowlf @realmagicbooks @yeovillitfest @bridlitfestival

@quartobooksuk @hardmanswainson

#thetattooedhills
#booktour
#bookstagram
#newbook
#chalklands by @dorsetjonw

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23 days ago

I absolutely love September: the cooler nights and still bright days, the pale blue skies. And here's some photos from the garden and odd bit of field. Despite the summer heat and with judicious watering, some pleasing crops. And cats.

#autumn #september #dorset #realdorset #blackmorevale by @dorsetjonw

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a month ago

This week a brilliant adventure with Helen and our tiptop friend Tom along the Dorset coast. A fast RIB ride in the water taxi from West Bay to Lyme Regis with @lyme_rib_rides , and the fantastically knowledgeable skipper, Nick. Then a 10 mile walk on the coast path back to West Bay, passing a scarecrow as James Bond and the statue of Mary Anning hidden in the woods. Up to Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast, bolstered by some brilliant pasties made by Ellie (@spacecadet_makes ), and a stop at @anchoratseatown where we encountered friends inc incomparable @martinmaudsley . Stayed overnight in Lyme Regis at @lyme_townhouse and ate heartily at @eat_at_millside . Also signed copies of The Tattooed Hills at @lyme_bookshop .

More on the walk, history, landscape, geology etc shortly in a thing I'm writing for an august publication.

#walking #southwestcoastpath #dorset #realdorset #lymeregis by @dorsetjonw

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a month ago

The last two, mostly blissful (my tent is crap and I am crap at putting tents up) days at @endoftheroad . Loved Madra Salach and loved how excited they were, The Felice Brothers were lovely gnarly alt country. Always a huge pleasure to see Super Furry Animals and wonder at how such a psychedelic band made it big in the Britpop years. And Pulp, wonderful career spanning gig complete with slideshow, more gigs should have slideshows. And then finally the splendidly subversive, funny @cmatbaby , what a voice, what a band. What a closer.

T shirt modelled by Nigel. A splendid group of people to spend a weekend with.

In my previous post about the festival I made up two band names, and then someone pointed out one of them is an actual band. Sorry, Garden Centre. In Real Dorset I made up three in the section about End of the Road, and no-one noticed...

#endoftheroad #musicfestivals #larmertree #cranbornechase #realdorset by @dorsetjonw

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a month ago