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THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
Emma Mitchell's richly illustrated and evocative diary records her nature finds over the course of a year and shows how being in the wild benefits our mental and physical wellbeing.
'This is a beautiful, beautiful book, I can't recommend it enough.' Sue Perkins
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'Profound, inspiring and exquisite.' Emma Freud
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'Precise, gorgeous and inspiring.' Amy Liptrot
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Emma Mitchell has suffered with depression - or as she calls it, 'the grey slug' - for twenty-five years. In 2003, she moved from the city to the edge of the Cambridgeshire Fens and began to take walks in the countryside around her new home, photographing, collecting and drawing as she went.
In Emma's hand-illustrated diary, she takes us with her as she follows the local paths and trails, sharing her nature finds over the course of a year. Reflecting on how these encounters impact her mood, Emma's candid account of her own struggles is a powerful testament to how reconnecting with nature can be as medicinal as any talking therapy or pharmaceutical.
Written with Emma's characteristic wit and frankness, and filled with her beautiful drawings, paintings and photography, this is a truly unique book for anyone who has ever felt drawn to nature and wondered about its influence over us.
About the author
Emma Mitchell is a designer-maker, naturalist, illustrator and the acclaimed author of The Wild Remedy (2019) and bestselling Making Winter (2017) – over 50,000 copies have been sold in the UK and the US. She is a Guardian Country Diarist, has written and contributed seasonal creative projects for BBC Countryfile Magazine, Country Living, Mollie Makes and Breathe. Emma has appeared on Radio 4’s Ramblings and Woman's Hour and on BBC Countryfile’s winter special.
Emma records her daily nature finds with photographs and illustrations on her Instagram (@silverpebble2 – over 100,000 followers) and X (@silverpebble –over 90,000 followers). She runs nature illustration courses: workshops.emmamitchell.net
Summary
Emma Mitchell’s richly illustrated and evocative nature diary tracks the lives of local flora and fauna around her home and further afield, and shows how being in the wild benefits our mental and physical wellbeing.
Foreword
Emma Mitchell's richly illustrated and evocative diary is a unique account of her nature finds over the course of a year and reflection on how spending time in wild places has impacted her mental wellbeing.
Report
A beautiful book that explores the seasons in elegant prose with charming illustrations. It's a diary of nature, but also of how it can heal. The Sunday Telegraph
