Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Libraries are launching a new partnership project to connect the natural world and the written word and celebrate the different ways authors relate to nature.
The Wild Reads project will run throughout 2020 and aims to give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the very best nature writing. The aim is to help inspire and ignite a love of nature in readers through the lenses of a wide variety of writers.
A Wild Reads collection of ten books has been selected including authors such as the BBC’s Kate Humble, Isabella Tree and Melissa Harrison.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Suffolk Libraries will also be hosting book-related events, readings and discussions as well as walks and activities to promote Wild Reads.
Wild Reads books will be available across Suffolk, with collections available from Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds libraries.
Author Isabella Tree, whose book ‘Wilding’ is on the Wild Reads list has personally endorsed the project:
“Never has there been a greater need for nature writers who can communicate issues about the environment in a clear, immediate and powerful way. And never, thankfully, has there been greater public interest in learning about nature, what we can do to restore it and how we can forge a closer, more respectful relationship with it. I’m thrilled to be one of the authors selected by the Wild Read project and to find myself in such awe-inspiring company. I hope these Wild Reads provide pleasure and, above all, encouragement to get out there into the natural world, to see things in different ways, and perhaps even to welcome wilder nature back into our lives.”
Kellie Dimmock, Suffolk Libraries Information for Living Librarian, said:
“Suffolk Libraries is thrilled to be working for the first time with Suffolk Wildlife Trust. We are really pleased to have created this fantastic partnership which will promote nature reading and writing to a much wider audience. Wild Reads will encourage everyone to get out into nature to discover some beautiful wild places and some brilliant books!”
Sara Holman, Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Head of Learning said:
“We are delighted to be working with Suffolk Libraries on Wild Reads. We hope the project will encourage people to engage with nature with us through the fantastic nature writing chosen for our Wild Reads collection and the range of book-related events and activities taking place throughout the year at our reserves and in Ipswich.”
The full list of Wild Reads titles is:
- Wilding, Isabella Tree
- All Among The Barley, Melissa Harrison
- The Peace of Wild things, Wendell Berry
- The Wild Places, Robert Macfarlane
- Nature Cure, Richard Mabey
- Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, Roger Deakin
- Thinking on my feet, Kate Humble
- Meadowland, John Lewis-Stempel
- The Overstory, Richard Powers
- The Salt Path, Raynor Winn.
Full details of the Wild Reads collection can be found at suffolklibraries.co.uk/wild-reads.
The following Wild Reads events and activities will also be taking place across Suffolk. More information and booking details can be found on the Suffolk Wildlife Trust website.
Walking Book Club with Wild Learning Officer Lucy Shepherd in Christchurch Park, Ipswich on the following Thursdays from 1pm to 2.30pm – 27 Feb, 30 April, 25 June, 27 Aug, 29 Oct, 26 Nov.
Wildlife walks at Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserves, exploring the wildlife and habitats featured in selected books.
Black Bourn – Saturday 16 May, 10am to 12 noon. Referencing Isabella Tree’s Wildling.
Mellis Common – Saturday 13 June, 10am to 12 noon. Referencing Roger Deakin’s Notes from Walnut Tree Farm.
Bradfield Woods – Saturday 17 October, 10am to 12 noon. Referencing Richard Powers’ Overstory.