On the Roof: A Book Talk with Tom Allan

November 12, 2024 [6:30-8:00pm]

First Draft Books, 54 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9AE

Thatching is an ancient tradition. But the craft isn’t frozen in time. Join us in the shop to hear from Tom Allan, thatcher and author of the brand-new book On The Roof: A Thatcher’s Journey.

It is a journey of discovery, and a reflection on what it means for a person or a building to belong in a place. It tells Tom’s story, leaving an office job in the city to find fulfilment among the Devon roofs, as well as the stories of six other people who share his trade. We meet the Hebridean son of a lobster fisherman who thatches with a dune-growing grass, a Syrian refugee who found peace among the seagrass roofs of a Danish island, and one of the first women to become master of Japan’s 5,000-year-old craft of thatching.

Tom will answer all your thatching questions and stick around to sign copies of his gorgeous book. This is a free but ticketed event. Save your seat here.