Writing for Nature: In Conversation with Ruby Free

In Conversation with Ruby Free

Join us for an intimate evening at Richard Booth's Bookshop + Cinema as local nature campaigner Joe Wilkins sits down with Author Ruby Free.

Ruby's first book, published in 2021 by Blackstaff Press, follows the time she moved to Rathlin Island at age 21 to work a dream job working on an RSPB reserve. One of the wildest and most biodiverse corners of the UK and Ireland, to Ruby, who had grown up in the south-west of England, it felt both thrilling and very far from home. Ruby thought she knew what wildness was but arriving on the island alongside a quarter of a million seabirds, her perception of it changed forever. From swimming with seals and late-night trips to hear the call of the corncrake, to spotting dolphins from her front door and getting to know some very special seabirds, this is the story of Ruby’s time on Rathlin. It’s also the story of what happened next – how Ruby took everything she’d learned through living on the island to the following stage of her life. Heartfelt, impassioned and full of joy, Rathlin, A Wild Life is a love letter to the island and the wildlife Ruby finds there, but it’s also a call to action; a reminder of everything we stand to lose if we don’t change.

Joe is a Welsh ecologist and Rights of Nature campaigner with a background in ecology and environmental biology and a passion for greater inclusion, transparency, and fairness in conservation and environmental governance. He recently won a Green Heart Hero Award, the UK’s leading climate and sustainability awards, for his work engaging stakeholders in Wales in discussions on nature recovery. A first-language Welsh speaker and a proud Cardi, he enjoys exploring the links between local culture and nature and will always say yes to a story over a paned. When not having a paned or at his desk, you will find him near, on, or in the water, the place he says he feels most at home.Joe works as a freelance consultant on several nature projects in his home country of Wales and internationally. In addition to his work, Joe serves as Vice President of the Board for Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, Chair of the Advisory Council for National Trust Cymru, a member of the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning and Board of Trustees for Small World Theatre.

Get ready to dive deep into discussions about wildlife conservation, community action and the power of effective science communication. Ruby will share her insights, experiences, and tips on how to effectively advocate for our planet and write for nature.

Richard Booth's Bookshop | Landmark Hay-on-Wye Bookshop

Richard Booth’s idea that a town of books could become an international attraction, transformed the small market community of Hay-On-Wye into the world’s first booktown.
This landmark bookshop on Lion Street extends over three floors, is packed with volumes from near and far and managed by specialist department heads.