Can you tell us a bit more about you and your current job?
Hi, I’m Emma, currently working in publishing in London. I have worked at Bloomsbury Publishing for the past two and a half years after graduating from a MA Publishing degree and will soon start a new job as Editor for the Bloomsbury Wildlife team. I’m really excited to bring my love for nature writing and conservation to the role and to get to work on field guides, reference books, nature memoirs and other illustrated books.
What are your top 5 nature books that you’d recommend for other people to read?
It feels almost impossible to whittle down into a top five as there’s so many brilliant nature books but here are some that I’d heartily recommend:
The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane
A modern classic in British nature writing (I’d say, anyway!). I have loved all of Robert MacFarlane’s books but The Wild Places was one of the books that first drew me into the genre. In this book, MacFarlane sets out on journeys across the UK to find ‘wild’ places, reflecting as he does so on the state of nature in the UK and how it has been shaped by people over the centuries.
English Pastoral by James Rebanks
A nuanced and compelling memoir, Rebanks writes about how his family farm in the Lake District has evolved over three generations, shifting from traditional, organic farming to intensive, fertilizer-fuelled farming and then, in present day, to a more nature-friendly model. He gives his balanced, educated and personal perspective on how globalization, population growth and financial pressures have led to a losing game for farmers, animals and the local environment.
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
Part memoir, part radical manifesto, The Book of Trespass is an incredible read that brings together nature, history and politics. It’s about the inequality of land ownership, the Right to Roam movement and how public rights to access nature have been eroded over the centuries. I have been recommending this to everyone since I read it earlier this year.
Groundbreakers by Chantal Lyons
Groundbreakers is about the reintroduction of wild boar into the UK, the impact they have had on people’s relationships with nature and on the habitats they now live in. I found it so thought-provoking, eye-opening and often quite moving.
Dart by Alice Oswald
For those who prefer poetry to prose, I strongly recommend Dart by Alice Oswald. In this spell-binding book-length poem, Oswald weaves the voices of people who live and work on the River Dart in Devon into the slippery, protean voice of the river itself, showing how inextricable nature and culture are from one another.
What are your top 5 non-nature books that you’d recommend for other people to read?
Such a hard question! Other than nature writing and non-fiction, I really like reading 20th century women’s fiction and contemporary literary fiction. Recent non-nature favourites have been:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winnifred Watson
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan
The first two are definitely warm, funny comfort reads that I go back to time and time again and the latter three are all stunningly well written.
Have you ever considered writing a book yourself? If so, what genre would it be?
No, I wouldn’t describe myself as a writer – I much prefer being a soundboard for authors and helping shape and develop their work. Still, if I did write anything it would probably be non-fiction and most likely nature or travel-related.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Usually something ABBA, Taylor Swift or Queen – I’m not a great singer so anything that gets the rest of the room involved tends to be a good move!
Would you like to join our community of nature loving 16-35 year olds who are on a mission to save the UK’s nature? Find out more here.
