Devon’s Summer Fest Fun – Newsletter Content for Discovery Holiday Homes

Don’t let anybody tell you Devon is just about sandy beaches, bleak moors and clotted cream. In this newsletter content for holiday rental agency Discovery Holiday Homes, we look at the county’s very best summer festivals.

There really is something for everyone this summer in Devon, whether you’re a crime fiction buff or a jazz music lover. There’s the International Agatha Christie Festival, which usually features workshops and murder mystery-themed events. It runs from 11 to 20 September at Torre Abbey and celebrates what would have been the famed author’s 125th birthday. There’s also the Teignmouth Folk Festival, held in South Devon between June 19 and 21. There will be the usual English folk fare like Morris dancing, but also performances with their roots in America’s Appalachian region. Other festivals include Glas-Denbury Music Festival (July 10 to 11), a child-friendly alternative to the hedonism of soundalike Glastonbury festival, and the Tiverton Balloons and Music Festivals (July 10 to 12), which somehow manages to combine hot air balloons and wonderful jazz music into a single fun-filled weekend.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. From a festival devoted to the deliciousness of crabs to a world-class regatta, Devon has a whole host of fun to offer visitors this summer. Scroll down to see all our seasonal recommendations.

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Cultural Sensitivity and Travel Writing

After returning from a trip, travellers are usually consumed by an overwhelming desire to tell everyone about the amazing experience they have had. This is what a travel writer is paid to do in the most eloquent way possible. However, it can also be the hardest part to master when it comes to depicting and representing other cultures.

Cultural sensitivity should be paramount when writing travel content, but it is often sorely overlooked. Mariellen Ward of the Breathedreamgo travel blog has discussed the dangers of cultural imperialism (or the belief that your way of life is better) in travel writing, while photographer Bani Amor has criticised colonialism in travel literature.

As a graduate in Social Anthropology, and an experienced travel writer, I am aware of the complicated politics of writing about location, ethnicity and society. Although there is no one-size-fits-all phrasebook to help travel writers avoid all controversy, here are my top tips to help any well-meaning travel writer traverse this complicated terrain.

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