TAMAR Valley-inspired visual artist and author, Petrus Ursem takes readers on a quest through the Valley in his children’s book trilogy.
Pertrus Ursem originally from Holland was ‘completely overwhelmed by the Tamar Valley landscape’ and has released a trilogy of adventure books set in the Tamar Valley featuring some of the local landmarks.
The ‘serious thinker and big child’ author, Peter Ursem wants people to ‘stay in touch with the playfulness of life’ and the book is aimed at those aged 10 to 110.
‘When you get older, in your mind you’re still as young as you ever were. It’s important to stay in touch with your younger self,’ said Petrus.
An inspiration for this life philosophy was Petrus’ mother who taught Petrus to pursue his curiousity. ‘My mum taught me to observe and look at things positively with amazement and wonder’, said Petrus.
‘My mum was special. She was a very positive, inspirational person. She passed away in 2019 and my mum asked me to tell her how the last book would finish, she wanted to know how the story would end. I told her and that was something only we knew.’
Petrus’ curiosity and wonder was sparked when he moved to the Tamar Valley with his wife in 2011 from Dorset after being ‘completely overwhelmed by the Tamar Valley landscape.
‘Back in Dorset in 2010 we were watching the series Edwardian Farm and I thought the Tamar Valley landscape was a landscape that begs for stories to be told’, said Petrus.
‘The Tamar landscape is beautiful. There are a dense-layering of stories to be discovered here’.
Petrus was recently at the Naturally, Drawn to Print exhibition at the Tamar Valley Centre and although Petrus is predominantly a visual artist that specialises in lino printing, he explained that he has ‘always written’ with many of his artworks featuring words. But it was moving to the area and witnessing the awe-inspiring landscape that motivated him to start the books. ‘When I moved, I thought...it’s time’, said Petrus.
The books feature many local landmarks that Cornish communities will recognise as readers embark on an adventure through the Tamar Valley. The third book, Black as Ink also features the setting of Dartmoor.
Petrus explained: ‘The books are very much inspired by local places that I’ve seen on my walks. I go for walks to air my brain, you get inspired by what you see.’
Petrus, who lives in an old mine captain’s house in the Tamar Valley has incorporated a mining theme within the books with a twist of mystery.
‘The story shifts between the mining past and the present. Throughout there is the mystery where the past and the present are weaved together,’ said Petrus.