Dreams of the Road by Avril Silk
Travelling gypsies have been a distinctive feature of south-west England for hundreds of years. Distinctive 'vardos' (wagons) rattled along the roads of Devon and Somerset, their occupants hawking their goods and skills, speaking in their own languages - Shelta, Gammon, Cant and Anglo-Romani, and constructing a strong oral storytelling culture. Currently, gypsies find themselves at a crossroads. Legislation restricting travel, a shortage of official sites and the loss of their traditional stopping places has led to the threat of centuries-old nomadic patterns. Over the past few decades, increasing numbers of gypsies have been forced to give up the road. The challenge for gypsies today is how to retain a separate culture and lifestyle when the foundations underpinning their distinctive existence have been removed. "We Dream of the Road" goes some way in preserving this rich culture, collecting together memories, anecdotes, the fears and the hopes of older gypsies living in the South-west of England.
Martin Levison is a lecturer and researcher at Exeter University and has published articles in national and international journals. He has been a teacher of English, Drama, History and Photography and has written a PhD investigating attitudes and values among gypsy children. Avril Silk is a writer whose work has been published by titles as diverse as Red Pepper, Somerset Life, Just 17, The Journal of Erotica and Bitch Magazine. She was co-editor for the award-winning magazine Just Women and has been worked with many types of young gypsies, helping them to publish their own book, True Romanies, True Friends.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781841585055 |
| ISBN 10 | 184158505X |
| Title | Dreams of the Road |
| Author | Avril Silk |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Birlinn General |
| Year published | 2007-06-04 |
| Number of pages | 228 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |