Arvon is 50

I've been lucky enough to work with Arvon over the last 15 years. Back in 1968, the poets John Moat and John Fairfax held their first course with a group of young people in a new Arts Centre in Devon. In his memoir, John Moat writes about the conversation he had with the Centre's manager, John Lane.

"What did we want to do? I told him. I told him we wanted to find somewhere the young people could be away from everything, schools, family, and radios - alone with the opportunity to write poems. Fanciful? I might have been asking to borrow a hammer. He said, 'The end of August all the staff are on holiday. The Centre will be empty. You an have it then.' I said, 'But you realise it'll be just Fairfax and me, and maybe fiftenn kids?' 'You'll take care of it,' he said."

John Moat, The Founding of Arvon, p. 24

You can read more about Arvon's history HERE.

To celebrate 50 years as a home of creative writing, Arvon would love to hear stories from people that have been touched by the Arvon magic - young writers, adult writers, tutors and past staff members. Get in touch with george.palmer@arvon.org if you have a story to share.