The Brilliance of Bewick – how one of Northumberland’s best-known artists has inspired our first dementia-friendly book.

World-famous artist and engraver Thomas Bewick has inspired our first book, designed for and with people living with dementia.

Bewick Tales: Stories from the Life and Work of Thomas Bewick by Sarah Lawrance and designed by Wendy Lewis is the first publication from Open Ended Books, our new publishing initiative.

Like our workshops in care settings and cultural venues, our books focus on living in the moment and what people can achieve rather than relying on reminiscence and memory-based themes.

Equal Arts CEO Douglas Hunter said: “Our work is based on the Dementia & Imagination model and the benefits creativity can bring. There is a significant gap in resources for people receiving a dementia diagnosis. We've created an uplifting, accessible book that provokes curiosity, imagination and conversations between readers, their friends and family. We focus on the here and now and what people can achieve rather than the past and what has gone.”

During the past six months, together with author and curator Sarah Lawrance, our team has consulted people living with dementia to develop the accessible layout, design and narrative for Bewick Tales.

Gill Taylor, from East Durham, received a dementia diagnosis in 2012 and helped us with the process. She said: “With dementia we lose our short-term memory, but you don’t lose your intelligence, that desire to learn and stretch yourself doesn’t go away.

“If reading has become frustrating and you don’t know these books are available to you, there’s the risk people will stop reading, stop doing something they’ve enjoyed. People living with dementia can do so much and books like Bewick Tales can support people to continue reading for pleasure and provide the opportunity to continue learning.”