A RECENTLY formed group of Dartmoor-based poets and writers this week launched their first publication, thanks to financial support from the Tarka Country Millennium Awards Scheme.

Moor Poets ? Volume 1 was officially launched at Dartmoor National Park Authority?s headquarters in Bovey Tracey on Tuesday.

The book represents a broad range of locally written poetry inspired by and relating to Dartmoor, including submissions from inmates of Dartmoor Prison.

The project to set up Moor Poets was created by Pat Fleming, who said: ?This would not have been possible without funding from the Tarka Country Millennium Awards, which allow individuals the opportunity to carry out a project to benefit a community within the Tarka Country area.

?Writers in and around Dartmoor have had a great boost from this money.?

Moor Poets ran a series of poetry writing and editing workshops with their grant ? similar workshops were run in parallel within Dartmoor Prison.

More than 200 poems were submitted for inclusion in the book from 75 poets, ranging in age from eleven to authors in their eighties.

The entries were whittled down to 49 by professional writers through an anonymous selection process.

Group spokeswoman and tutor Roselle Angwin said: ?Dartmoor has always had a strong literary tradition. I know from my own courses how evocative the moor is for creative people.

?We were still amazed though, to see exactly how many people from such a variety of backgrounds, responded to our requests for poems.?

Copies of Moor Poets are available, priced £4.50 plus £1.50 post and packing. Proceeds generated will be put towards reprinting further copies. To order, call 01364 631233 or e-mail