In their thoughtful, heartfelt and often very funny books, anthropologist JC Niala and ‘Urban Naturalist’ Amanda Tuke show how the non-human world co-exists with us – from the tiniest plants and lichen we tread underfoot to the lions and rhinos in JC’s hometown Nairobi.

JC (author of The New Eden) tells the charged history of urban nature from the Diggers to community gardening in the wake of Grenfell, from the canalization of rivers to the cows that shaped London. Amanda (author of Wild Pavements) brings her infectious delight to toad-patrolling, ‘vismigging’, and fish making their homes in shopping-trolleys.

Urban light, noise, and sewage pollution remain a threat to most species, but both authors meet people making real changes at a local level and tell their stories with interest and sparkle. The authors will be in conversation with celebrated nature writer and President of Somerset Wildlife Trust, Stephen Moss.

Interesting to know: Amanda Tuke will also be leading a pavement plant walk around Frome on Saturday afternoon (book here).

The event takes place in our venue for the weekend, RISE. So come early, grab a coffee (and perhaps a pastry) from onsite Rye Bakery and let your festival weekend begin in calm and wondrous style…

Please note: there is no parking at the venue itself, but there is plenty of long-stay public parking within close walking distance to the venue at Cattle Market Car Park or Merchants Barton Car Park. We are pleased to say the venue is fully accessible for wheelchair users.