Legend tells us Dominica was the daughter of an Irish King who came up the Tamar river with her brother in AD 689 and created a religious settlement on its bank, in this small corner of Cornwall. The question is: What could this woman have possibly done to not only be acclaimed as a saint, but then be kept in mind for over 550 years so much so that, in October 1259, their new stone-built parish church was dedicated to her? A Celtic saint for this place alone.
What did she do? Result – a novel – inspired by Saint Dominica of Cornwall
Ann Foweraker is best known as a contemporary novelist. However, to write this novel, she was drawn back to the 7th century by the enigmatic patron saint of the 13th century parish church in St. Dominick, where she lives. Here Ann weaves a plausible tale of the life of Saint Dominica, set into the fabric of early medieval conditions and threaded with threats, trials and triumphs.
In this fascinating talk, Ann explains HOW and WHY she wrote her first historical novel – based on a few scraps of legend associated with St. Dominica and her brother, St. Indract, and the Parish of St. Dominick in Cornwall, and masses of wide-ranging research into the early middle ages in both Ireland and Cornwall of the years AD 677 – 720
MAXIMUM NUMBERS: 30
VENUE: Heritage Centre
DAY/DATE/TIMES: Monday 28th September 11.00-12.30
EVENT LEADER: Ann Foweraker
EVENT LEADER BIO: Ann Foweraker writes Poetry and both Fiction and Non-Fiction books. She has been writing Poetry and Stories since her teens. She writes, and performs Poetry readings, with The Liskeard Poets (Liskeard poetry group) and has six full length novels and a novella to her name.
Four of Ann’s contemporary novels – and the new historical novel – are set in Cornwall– ‘The Angel Bug’ at the Eden Project ‘Nothing Ever Happens Here’ in and around Looe, Divining the Line – between Plymouth and Perranzabuloe, A Respectable Life – in the Tamar Valley and, the historical, Dominica. A novel inspired by Saint Dominica of Cornwall – in and around the parish of St. Dominick. Some Kind of Synchrony is set elsewhere.
Born in a village in Berkshire, Ann trained as a teacher, married a Cornishman and then taught in secondary and primary schools in both Plymouth and Cornwall. She has lived in St. Dominick, Cornwall for the past 41 years – and started writing Novels in 1990 while taking a break from teaching to look after her four boys.
Her other interests include – Local History, Belly Dancing, Health & Nutrition, WI and anything else that catches her eye – for updates on all these and her literary adventures visit Ann’s Blog at http://annfoweraker.com/ through which she can also be contacted (see: About Ann) for readings and talks. She can also be found on Instagram and FB under AnnFowerakerAuthor
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