DOVER–Book & Tour 

BOOK: Simon Bill’s collection of essays titled ‘DOVER’ expanded his monthly blog for the DAD digital festival 2021 in to an ‘artist’s book’ modelled on pocketable travel guides, designed by Edda Salander-Jones. The blog began as a record of Bill’s experiences exploring Dover and surrounding countryside on foot. The book’s blurb describes it thus:

Dover is a well-known but widely misunderstood little town on the south coast of England that a lot of people will just pass through without stopping, on the way to or from somewhere else. In 2018 a man from London, an artist, went there to live (pretty much by accident), and he fell in love with it – the depth of history, the native orchids and butterflies on the Western Heights, the chronic neglect, local government incompetence, strange caves and tunnels, the trout stream that flows past Poundland, those far-right visitors in the Market Square, the inspirational commitment of the Channel swimmers…

Across these 12 essays Simon Bill articulates a conviction that this small English coastal town distills the spirit of the whole country. Dover is England in microcosm.

TOUR: A performative 15 venue ‘Slide Talk’ series, leading to lively participant discussions, structured and themed with the book, subjects corresponding to chapter’s themes e.g. nature, social life, caves and tunnels, history etc. and using some of the hundreds of photos made by Bill whilst exploring. The range of venues was selected for the variety of participants they offer :

1) Charles Holland Architects, Dover Jan 10th 2025
2) Manor House Library, Lewisham, London Jan 30th 2025
3) East Kent College, Dover March 4th 2025
4) Kollektiv, Folkestone March 28th 2025
5) The Colony Room, Westminster, London April 7th 2025
6) Original Projects, Great Yarmouth April 20th 2025
7) Turner Contemporary, Margate April 25th 2025
8) White Cliffs Countryside u3a, Tower Hamlets Scouts HQ, Dover May 21st 2025
9) National Trust, White Cliffs Visitor’s Centre, Dover JUNE 20th 2025
10) Maison Dieu, Dover October 9th 2025
11) The Art Club, Dover October 30th 2025
12) Dover Active Retirement Association (DARA), St Mary’s Parish Hall, Dover November 4th 2025
13) Dover Castle GEO PARK FESTIVAL November 8th 2025
14) Cliffs of Sanctuary & DAD Salon November 13th 2025
15) Dover Society, St Mary’s Parish Hall, Dover November 17th 2025

Dover Arts Development (DAD)  received £29,743 from Arts Council England to support the project as well as invaluable support from Sort of Books with the book editing.

• DOVER is available @£10 from:
• Amazon
• The Dover Museum shop in the Market Square in Dover
• The Margate Book Shop
• Kollectiv Folkestone
• Colony Room London
• Original Projects Great Yarmouth