By Jessica Taggart Rose
From wolves in Northern Europe to bison and beavers in Kent and wildflower meadows in Broadstairs, rewilding has its successes and its saboteurs.
Best of Times bookshop in Broadstairs is exploring this theme through September, starting on Tuesday 8 September with local travel writer Adam Weymouth and Whitstable-based fiction writer Zoe Gilbert.
The two authors will join Jessica Taggart Rose and Broadstairs town councillor Mike Garner from 6.30pm-9pm to read from their books and discuss the potential and the politics of rewilding. Audiences will have the chance to hear not only about rewilding but about the author’s writing processes during a Q&A followed by drinks and book sales.
Adam Weymouth’s book Lone Wolf: A Journey into the Wild Heart of the Alps, retraces the migration of a GPS-tracked wolf from Slovenia to Italy, uncovering social and political tensions, a revival in traditional shepherding and new threats to rewilding efforts along the way. Lone Wolf was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize for non-fiction, and won the Sherborne Travel Writing Prize.
Zoe Gilbert’s novel, Mischief Acts, explores the dark mythic realms of British folklore and how they interact with the present and potential futures. A Sunday Times Book of the Year, it moves with the shapeshifting Herne the Hunter from the 1300s through to an imagined restoration in 2064 where humans learn to rewild themselves and the city of London.
The bookshop’s evening events have already proved popular, with Liz Bentley’s one-woman show selling out in July.
Workshops are now being introduced into the events programme, with the shop’s first event designed for children five years and upwards and also themed on wolves and forests. Finnish middle-grade author Lottie Saahko (pictured below) is set to release her new book, Lumi and the Wolf, and will lead this workshop on Saturday 26 September from 2pm-3.30pm.
She will bring the forest into the bookshop for an interactive nature journalling session that adults can enjoy too. Participants will receive materials, prompts and inspiration to draw and write about experiences of nature – just as Lumi does in the story.
Bookshop owner and author Gavin Boyter aims to create a convivial atmosphere in the shop and has been delighted with the reception he’s had so far.
“We had a full house for our first event in our basement venue and we’re so thrilled Liz brought her punk ukulele, humour and humanity to share with our new audience. There’s so much talent locally and it’s a privilege to have stellar local and international writers including Adam Weymouth, Zoe Gilbert and Lottie Saahko supporting the shop,” he said.
“In less than three months we already have regular customers coming in and I’ve had people saying how great it is to have a bookshop in Broadstairs again. I’ve also been hearing reminiscences from women who bought their wedding dresses here when it used to be a bridal boutique. I love that sense of continuity; the feeling that we’re still providing for future memories: evening shindigs, gifts bought for birthdays, heated discussions on books and their authors.”
Events can be booked at www.bestoftimesbooks.com/events
