Work by students from Falmouth University’s School of Communication and Institute of Photography will be on show at an exhibition in Penryn Campus Library from 22 August. The show takes visitors on a unique A–Z journey through Cornish places and their richly resonant names, in poetry and photography. A beautifully produced book, designed by a team of Graphic Design BA(Hons) students, accompanies the show.
Angarrack, Feock, Halliggye Fogou, Nancekuke, Ponsanooth, Zennor… What secrets of language, history and legend can Cornwall’s place names unlock?
To find out, the national writers’ association 26 invited writers to visit 26 places around Cornwall, some well-known, some well off the beaten track. Photographers then took the writers’ words with them to explore these places and inspire their own work, and the result is a multi-faceted celebration of Cornwall and its richly storied culture.
Julia Webb-Harvey, a Falmouth-based writer, PhD student and co-organizer of the project, said: “Like many people who live in Cornwall or come here as visitors, I’ve long been fascinated by the wonderful resonance of Cornish place names. There’s so much history and so many fascinating stories behind these, and that’s what we wanted to uncover.
“We’ve included places for every letter of the alphabet and in every part of Cornwall. Finding an X was challenging but it turns out there is one – though it’s not at all easy to get to!”
Each writer has created a ‘sestude’ – a poem of exactly 62 words – in response to their place, and these are being shown alongside the photographers’ work at Penryn Campus Library.
The accompanying book, available to be borrowed from the library, includes poems, photography and longer explorations of the places and their names, with an introduction by Cornish language expert Kensa Broadhurst looking at how historical and linguistic change has shaped the names of Cornwall’s villages and towns.
Tom Scott, a writer and Falmouth University lecturer who helped organise the project, said: “I was assigned to Nancekuke, near Portreath, which has not only a fascinating history but also a mysteriously ambiguous name. The Cornish language has changed over time, and possible derivations from Kernewek include phrases meaning ‘blind valley’, ‘empty cemetery’, or possibly even ‘cuckoo valley’.
“At one time it was home to the UK’s largest chemical weapons factory, but before that it was a popular spot for picnickers from nearby Redruth, and famous for its splendid turnips. It was an extraordinarily beautiful spot to visit, but it also felt haunted by many ghosts from the past.”
The celebrated Falmouth-based poet Penelope Shuttle was assigned to Feock and was so inspired by it that she produced 26 sestudes responding to the place and the shadowy saint from whom it takes its name, five of which are included in the book.
The photographers contributing to the project are all Cornwall-based and include several who have shown internationally as well some of Falmouth University’s most talented student photographers.
Tom said: “Being able to involve students in collaborations like this is one of the best things about teaching at a multi-arts university. It’s a great way of challenging them creatively and gives them valuable experience of working on high-profile projects alongside professional practitioners. And the work they’ve produced for the show is stunningly good.”
The show opens at Penryn Campus Library on Tuesday 22 August and runs till Friday 20 October.
Penryn Campus Library is home to an archive of books that have been born out of previous 26 projects with partners including the V&A Museum, the London Underground, PEN International and the British Library.
The book that accompanies the show, 26 Places in Cornwall / 26 Tyller yn Kernow, can be borrowed from Penryn and Falmouth Campus Libraries, and can be purchased at the Falmouth Bookseller or from the 26 website, where you can find out more about the project.
CONTACTS
Julia Webb-Harvey
juliawebbharvey@gmail.com
07979 518342