A desire to resurrect and continue the use of typical Nottinghamshire dialect is the driving force behind a new exhibition.

The Lost Words Of Nottinghamshire project aimed to engage school children with Notts language and dialect in workshops supported by artist Hannah Sawtell and poet Andrew Graves. The results of their workshops are on display at libraries, including Mansfield Library, from 2nd March to 17th April.

Andrew said: “Being a Nottingham-based writer means I can’t help but be fascinated by accents and dialects, because the county as a whole contains so many variations of both. Like other areas, Nottingham and its surrounding towns and villages is awash with a verbal history.

“Many words that are either still in use or have been forgotten tell us who we are and describe our links to industry, environment and locality. I have been delighted to see the enthusiasm shown by young people for slang and local phrases, both old and new.

“I feel honoured to now be taking this project out to adults and the wider community in creative-writing workshops in Inspire libraries.”

One workshop, where he will take show how to construct poetry and stories using old, familiar and lost terms and expressions, is at Mansfield Library on Saturday, 26th March.

Hannah added: “One of the most interesting elements of this project has been to discover the rich treasure trove of local dialect words alongside those that I already knew and use. Choosing which words to illustrate combined personal connections to words such as with ‘Jitty’ or picking interesting characterful words such as ’sludgebump’. It was a joy to be a part of.”

The project, supported by Inspire Libraries and the Miner2Major Landscape Partnership scheme, was delivered by Natalie Braber, professor of linguistics at Nottingham Trent University, who received funding from the Arts Council to carry out this work.

Schools involved with the project include Ladybrook Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School, and The Brunts Academy, Mansfield; The Dukeries Academy, Ollerton; Yeoman Park Academy, Mansfield Woodhouse; and Eastlands Junior School, Meden Vale.