19: Tim Pears’s West Country

Tim Pears, a writer rooted in the landscape of Devon, takes Slightly Foxed to the West Country. From working at his local library and reading an author a week instead of taking his A Levels to winning the Hawthornden Prize for his first novel, by way of spells as a farm labourer, nursing assistant and night porter, Tim Pears has written eleven novels, watched blacksmiths at work, walked the routes of his characters, balanced research with imagination and chronicled the past as a realist rather than a romantic. We also travel through the magazine’s archives, along the rivers Taw and Torridge, to uncover the man behind Tarka the Otter, and there are the usual recommendations for reading off the beaten track.

Please find links to books, articles, and further reading listed below. The digits in brackets following each listing refer to the minute and second they are mentioned. (Episode duration: 41 minutes; 20 seconds)

Books Mentioned
Please note that while many of these titles by other publishers are available to buy from the Slightly Foxed shop, there may be delays in obtaining them from our distributor. We may also be able to get hold of second-hand copies of the out-of-print titles listed below. Please get in touch with Anna for more information.

Books by Tim Pears
- In the Place of Fallen Leaves (5:18)
- In the Light of Morning is out of print (13:22)

- The West Country Trilogy: The Horseman, The Wanderers and The Redeemed (14:14)

Other Books
- Slightly Foxed Issue 66 (1:23)

- Two Middle-Aged Ladies in Andalusia, Penelope Chetwode (1:29)

- The Past Is Myself, Christabel Bielenberg: Plain Foxed Edition (1:50)

- The Empress of Ireland, Christopher Robbins: Slightly Foxed Edition No. 51 (2:00)

-Tarka the Otter, Henry Williamson (27:15)
- Omer Pasha Latas: Marshal to the Sultan, Ivo Andrić (34:14)
- Lolly Willowes, Sylvia Townsend Warner is out of print (36:14)

Related Slightly Foxed Articles
- Tarka the Rotter, Jonathan Law on Henry Williamson, Tarka the Otter in Issue 35 (27:15)

- Surprised by Joy, Jonathan Law on The Diaries of Sylvia Townsend Warner in Issue 48 (36:14)

Other Links
- Sign up to the free Slightly Foxed email newsletter here to receive articles from the quarterly, extracts from books, latest releases, event invitations, news from behind the scenes at SF and other bookish content several times a month. View past newsletters

- Tim Pears: A writer and his dog (25:21)

Opening music: Preludio from Violin Partita No.3 in E Major by Bach
The Slightly Foxed Podcast is hosted by Philippa Lamb and produced by Podcastable