This post is by Guy Shrubsole. Image: book cover art by the wonderful Alan Lee.
My new book, The Lost Rainforests of Britain, was published by William Collins on 27th October 2022 in hardback, and in paperback on 27th April 2023.
You can order it from any of the following websites:
Bookshop.org (which supports independent bookshops)
NHBS (Natural History Book Service)
… and available in all good bookshops now!
I’m delighted to say that The Lost Rainforests of Britain reached Number 2 in the Sunday Times paperback bestsellers in early May 2023, and remained in the top 10 for six weeks afterwards. It was Waterstones’ non-fiction book of the month in May 2023, was selected as the Sunday Times’ Science Book of the Year in November 2022, and was shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Society Literary Prize.
In September 2023, The Lost Rainforests of Britain won the prestigious James Cropper Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation.
Book tour
Between October 2022 and July 2023, I’ve given over 30 book talks, speaking to an estimated 3-4,000 people. My book tour ends in summer 2023, after which I’ll be occasionally doing a few more private talks, but mainly having to focus on writing my next book, The Lie of the Land…
Past events
27th October 2022 – London: private book launch at Stanfords, Covent Garden, London.
1st Nov – Totnes: Albatross events space, 7pm-9pm. Co-hosted by the East Gate Bookshop and The Bull Inn, 7pm. Book tickets here.
3rd Nov – Taunton: Temple Methodist Church, 7pm-8.30pm. Hosted by Brendon Books. Book tickets here.
8th Nov – Bristol: Stanfords, 6.30pm-8pm. Book tickets here.
9th Nov – Nailsworth: Three Storeys, 7pm. Hosted by the Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Book tickets here.
10th Nov – Eden Project, Cornwall: I’ll be giving a talk at 2pm in the Core Building (Eden entry fee required).
10th Nov – Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall: I’ll be giving a talk at 6.30pm. Buy tickets here.
14th Nov – 5×15 talks: I’ll be giving an online talk at 7pm. Book tickets here.
17th Nov – Bath: Topping Books, 7.30pm. Book tickets here.
19th Nov – Kendal Mountain Festival: I’ll be in conversation with author and conservationist Lee Schofield, 1.15pm-2.15pm. Book tickets here.
24th Nov – Ashburton: Ashburton Arts Centre, evening talk. Book tickets here.
27th Nov – Hay Festival Winter Weekend: I’ll be in conversation with journalist and editor Kitty Corrigan, 4pm. Book tickets here.
2nd December – Oxford University: I’ll be speaking as part of the Biodiversity Network seminar series, 4.15pm. More info here.
15th February 2023 – Galloway, Scotland: online talk, 7.30pm-9pm. Hosted by Galloway Glens and Communities for Diverse Forestry, as part of the Fantastic Forest Festival. Book tickets here.
16th Feb – Calstock, Cornwall: Calstock Arts, 7.30pm-9pm. Hosted by Calstock Arts with Book Stop (Tavistock indy bookshop). Book tickets here.
17th Feb – Plymouth University: talk for Plymouth students & university staff, 11am. (Private talk)
24th Feb – Somerset: Ebeneezer Presents, Aller, Somerset, 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Book tickets here.
2nd March – Exeter, Devon: Corn Exchange, Exeter, 7pm. Talk as part of the Woodland Trust’s ‘Rethinking Rainforests’ event. Book tickets here.
8th March – Falmouth, Cornwall: The Poly, Falmouth, 7pm-9pm. Talk co-hosted by indy bookshop the Falmouth Bookseller. Book tickets here.
17th March – Ardtornish Estate, Morvern, Scotland: talk hosted by Ardtornish Estate with the RSPB and Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest. Private event, full up!
2nd April – Machynlleth, Powys, Wales: Sunday talk at MOMA / Y Tabernacl, 1.30pm-2.30pm as part of Amdani Literature Festival 2023. Book tickets here.
27th April – private event in London for the National Trust (pre-recorded presentation owing to back injury)
3rd May – private event at the Mexican Embassy in London, hosted by the Mexican Ambassador to the UK, Her Excellency Josefa Gonzalez-Blanco Ortiz-Mena, and attended by various guests including UK Environment Minister Trudy Harrison.
13th May – Sharpham Estate, Totnes: speaker at ‘Restoring Nature’ Festival organised by Ambios & the East Gate Bookshop. Book tickets here. I’ll be speaking 10.30-11.30am and then on a panel discussion 17.00-18.00 with George Monbiot, Amy-Jane Beer and Anita Roy.
18th May – Crediton, Devon: talk hosted by The Bookery, 7pm-9.30pm; book tickets here.
25th May – Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire: talk at Chipping Camden Literature Festival. Book tickets here.
13th June (new date) – South Brent, Devon: talk hosted by Sustainable South Brent, 7.30pm-9pm. Book tickets here.
21st June – Kew Gardens with 5×15, 7pm-8.30pm. Speaking alongside Jackie Morris, Professor Alexandre Antonelli & others to be announced. Book tickets here.
22nd June – Natural History Museum student conference. Keynote speaker. More details soon.
23rd-24th June – Glastonbury Festival: I’ll be speaking about access to nature at The Common with other members of the Right to Roam campaign (though temperate rainforests may also come up in conversation!). Details here.
15th July – Global BirdFair, Rutland show ground: I’ll be speaking on Saturday 15th July 2pm in conversation with the author and naturalist Nick Acheson. Buy tickets for Global BirdFair here.
29th July – Rewilding Coombeshead, Devon: ‘If not now, when?’ symposium on species reintroduction & rewilding, speaking on the Saturday 3.50pm. Book tickets here.
3rd-4th Oct – Natural England staff awayday, North Wales: visit to Ceunant Llennyrch and private talk for NE staff working on woods and trees.
17th Nov – Dartmoor Society event, ‘Dartmoor’s temperate rainforests: past, present & future’: I was one of various speakers on this subject, attended by over 100 people.
6th Dec – Met Office awards ceremony. I’ll be speaking briefly and presenting one of the awards.
Lost Rainforests of Britain 
Hey, I’m currently reading your book which is fascinating and wonderfully written. I work for an academy Trust leading on our outdoor learning and experiential learning provision. Our Key stage 2 have recently been learning about rain forests and I notice they naturally discuss more tropical rainforests. I’m hoping to go and visit a more local one, possibly in the Leake District as we are based in South Yorkshire (XP Schools Trust) and I was wondering if you could recommend where to visit so i can get some footage to take back to the schools please.
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Hi Kate, that’s great to hear – re Lake District temperate rainforests, I’d recommend visiting any of those in Borrowdale, as these are all owned by the National Trust and are quite readily accessible (e.g. Johnny Wood – you can get a bus south from Keswick to a bus stop near the YHA and the wood is a short walk in from the stop.) All best, Guy.
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Hi
I’ve just finished your book. I thought it a very good read as well as highly informative. I think this will make it an important work in the ‘conservation’ genre which will get read and discussed outside the ‘echo chamber’. Looking forward to your ‘Lie of the Land’ already!
I liked especially that your book drew on different places in the UK so that most (all?) readers can feel connected with at least one location. I also liked the fact that there was no gender bias in it – too often, I read or hear how men have destroyed the planet and women will save it. Truthfully, we’re all in the story together and need to unite to repair the damage.
One constructive observation I would make is that in a couple of places I felt the writing veered towards blaming ‘the English’. To my mind, commentary needs to highlight the privileged classes that form an oligarchy. The majority of English (and other peoples) throughout history have, to my mind, been disempowered, socio-economic position being more significant than location.
And finally, do you have any plans to create educational resources to support your aims? I think Kate above makes a great point and resources would fit well with KS2 work on Biomes and Vegetation Belts.
Thanks
Andy
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Hi. Enjoying reading your book. Oliver Rackham was my late father’s cousin, although I share your sadness in never getting to meet him before he passed away.
I grew up in New Zealand, where I regularly got to experience native New Zealand bush but I have yet to visit temperate rainforest in other parts of the world. Now I live a lot closer to Britain, having moved to the Netherlands many years ago, so perhaps I will.
Best wishes,
Julian
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