Join shoemaker and co-founder Alison Hastie as she discusses her remarkable memoir, Green Shoes with Sam North, of The University of Exeter.

Discover how a dream in the early 1980s led to forty years of running a pioneering, feminist shoemaking collective in Totnes, Devon. Alison will share stories of craft, community, second-wave feminism, and sustainability in an increasingly automated world—plus a unique glimpse into the art of hand-making a shoe.

Alison Hastie co-founded Green Shoes in Totnes, Devon, in 1981, creating comfortable, repairable, handmade footwear. For nearly fifty years, she has lived on Dartmoor, balancing her craft with community activism, writing, and raising a family.

Sam North is an Honorary Professor of Creative Writing at The University of Exeter. He’s written 8 novels and two books about writing. He was brought up on Exmoor and Dartmoor and is married with 3 grown-up sons.

The conversation will be followed by a Q&A session and book signing.

This event is FREE and open to all. No need to book, just turn up to grab a seat!

About the Book

Green Shoes: Forty Years of a Radical Women’s Craft Collective, is a beautiful 288-page hardback published on 8th October 2026 for £14.99. It will be available to buy on the evening.

"An inspiring and uplifting celebration of enterprise, feminism, conscience and creativity."

— Terence Blacker

"A unique inside view on what it takes to work with your hands in an increasingly automated world."

— Annebella Pollen