Rock Idols Book Talk
With Sophie Pierce & Alex Murdin
Tuesday 28 July 2026, 6.30pm - 8pm
FREE
Venue: MAKE Southwest
Suitable for: Adults
Image credit: Emma Stoner
An exploration of our connection to the Dartmoor landscape through its tors.
Join MAKE Southwest & First Draft Books for a very special book talk with Sophie Pierce & Alex Murdin, authors & illustrators of Rock Idols: A Guide to Dartmoor in 28 Tors.
With captivating original artwork, personal stories and practical information, Sophie & Alex gift us with fresh eyes through which to explore the ancient stones that have always fascinated us. They will share some of the artwork, a few stories and, of course, answer your questions. Plus, copies of their book will be available to purchase on the night to be signed.
This is a free but ticketed event. Please save a seat to guarantee a spot on the night. If we reach capacity, we will activate a waitlist.
This talk is part of the beautiful exhibition In Praise of Small Things, on show in our Riverside Gallery 27 June - 5 September.
About the book
Rock Idols tells the story of Dartmoor through the lens of its tors. Fantastical yet natural, Dartmoor’s 280-million-year-old tors are among the most iconic landmarks in Southern Britain. Victorian antiquarians described them as ‘rock idols’, believing them to be stone deities worshipped by the Druids. Thousands of years before that, they inspired our ancestors who built ceremonial stone rows and circles aligned with them.
Today, the tors are loved by walkers, climbers and locals, who visit in their thousands every year. Rock Idols is a hymn to these mysterious monoliths, in which the authors share tales of their trips to 28 of the tors. With stunning original drawings, the book delves into the moor’s archaeology, folklore and geology. It is a meditation on the human relationship with ancient stones and wild places, and the hold they have over our imagination.
This event is being run in partnership with First Draft Books, Bovey’s very own independent bookshop. You can visit First Draft Books Tue - Sat, 9.30am - 4.30pm - find them nestled in Grace & Favour Home on Fore Street.