Rock Idols: A New Vision of Dartmoor’s Tors. Illustrated Author Talk with Sophie Pierce and Alex Murdin
On publication day for Rock Idols, Dogberry & Finch Books hosted a wonderful evening with artist Alex Murdin and writer Sophie Pierce, exploring the magic and mystery of Dartmoor’s 280-million-year-old tors.
Rock Idols: A Guide to Dartmoor in 28 Tors is thought to be the first illustrated guide to Dartmoor in about a century, with new, original drawings. It shares tales of the authors’ adventures to these ancient stones, and delves into the moor’s archaeology, folklore and geology, telling the story of Dartmoor through the lens of its tors.
The book is also a meditation on the human relationship with wild places, and the hold they have over our imagination.
Alex Murdin is an artist who has lived on Dartmoor for over 25 years. Inspired by the moor’s granite landscape, he writes and draws to reconnect human and non-human worlds.
Sophie Pierce is a writer drawn to the wild landscapes and ancient history of Dartmoor. She is author of The Green Hill: Letters to a Son, a memoir about love, loss and the Devon landscape, as well as five wild swimming guides.
Photo credit for author portrait: Glavind Strachan Photography
