The brilliant Andrew Ziminski is one of three writers at a special event at the arts centre this month in advance of Bridport Literary Festival.

He wrote The Stone Mason: a History of Building Britain. Last year our BridLit Shots team filmed him at his beach hut on Portland for a Dorset-centric view of the book.

It’s a delightful film capturing the essence of this modest and talented man and the landscape that so inspires him.

He’ll be giving an illustrated talk on Monday 20 September at 4.30pm, one of three taking place during the day at the arts centre. Also on the programme are writer and journalist Tom Holt, talking about his book on the history and calm serenity of river fishing, Casting Shadows, and artist and broadcaster Lachlan Goudie and The Story of Scottish Art. Tickets are £12 for each event or £30 for all three.

Although billed as an event for Friends of Bridport Literary Festival, sponsors and donors, tickets are available to all. More details here.

The Stone Mason: a History of Building Britain is part archaeological history and yet a deeply personal insight into an ancient craft.

In his long career Ziminski has worked on many of our greatest monuments. From Neolithic monoliths to Roman baths and temples, from the tower of Salisbury Cathedral to the engine houses, mills and aqueducts of the Industrial Revolution up to the present day. This is a personal history of how Britain was built – from the inside out and takes us on an unforgettable journey by river, road and sea with a new vision of our island history.

Ziminski is a stonemason living and working in what was ancient Wessex. He has three decades of hands-on experience with the tangible history of this country. He has used his skills to create a Stonehenge megalith as well as the restoration of the Roman ruins in Bath and the dome of St Paul’s in London.

He is as happy to work on a humble medieval country church as he is on Salisbury Cathedral and you get a real feel for that in the BridLit Shots film which you can find here.

Camera work is by Tom Hughes. The film was edited by Boris Hallvig and produced by Joanna Jacobson.