Accolade for Way With Words' Kay

DARTINGTON'S Ways with Words co-director Kay Dunbar has joined the ranks of the literary great.

She has emulated the likes of Tolkien, Anthony Burgess and Philip Larkin in being awarded the Royal Society of Literature's Benson Medal for her 'outstanding contribution to literature and books'.

Kay, who has been a major force in the success of WWW since its first festival 18 years ago, learned of her 'elevation' while running a recent writing course in France.

"I thought it was a friend playing a trick. Then I did what everyone does these days and I googled 'Benson Medal'," she explained.

The prize was founded in 1916 by the academic and writer A C Benson.

Past recipients have also included Lytton Strachey, Harold Nicolson, A L Rowse and Ronald Blythe.

"Many of them are my favourite writers," said Kay.

She was duly presented with her solid silver 'gong' on July 1 at King's College in London where hundreds of eminent writers gathered to witness the proceedings.

Kay's work was commended by the Royal Society of Literature's president Sir Michael Holroyd, a regular at WWW.

He referred to her 'creative appetite, informed enthusiasm, and benign bookish evangelism', adding: "The Ways With Words festivals remain the favourites of many writers."

In her acceptance speech she quoted Ted Hughes on the power of words to 'unlock the doors of all those many mansions in the head'.