Emergence creative nature writing anthology

Emma Chaplin
, 10 April 2022
Emergence creative nature writing anthology
Wood anemone © Peter Brooks

Earlier this year we asked for entries for this year's creative nature writing anthology, with its theme of 'Emergence'. 

We were so impressed by the range and quality of the entries - and the number! We looked at 130 poems, haiku and pieces of short fiction, twice as many as were sent in last year. There was such diversity of subject matters, ages of entrants, locations and styles. I don't think we've ever featured something that talks about Minecraft before. We loved getting a group of entries from people that live in sheltered housing, telling us what they see out of their windows. We were delighted to hear from Mrs Owl (although we think this might be a pen name), who is deaf, who wrote about discovering that daffodils make a noise when the buds open after she started wearing cochlear implants. 

Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm and interest.

We hope you enjoyed writing them - we loved reading them. 

Emergence
Click to view

Here are the names of everyone whose entries have been included in the anthology. 

  • Alison Allen
  • Charles Barrow
  • Freya Bezencon
  • Clarissa Bird
  • Claire Booker
  • Steven Briault
  • Ysabel Cameron
  • Philippa Jane Coughlan
  • Catherine Craig
  • Lisa Dart
  • John Doy
  • Beryl Docherty
  • Isobel Dyson
  • Ellie Evans
  • Cat Forrester
  • Chris Goode
  • Bronwen Griffiths
  • Sharon Harmer
  • Tracey Holmes
  • Steven Hitchmough
  • Jane Holbrook
  • Adam Rafael Holmes
  • Celia Hunt
  • Lila Katz
  • Hannah King
  • Ruth Lawrence
  • Linda Ling
  • Keith Marsden
  • Lorna Mason
  • Keith Massey
  • Terri Meadus
  • Karolyn Mnich
  • Diane Moulton
  • Rachael North
  • Ms Owl
  • Natasha Padbury
  • Mark Philips
  • Gill Potterton
  • Samantha Pyrah
  • Roxanne Rodrigues-Betts
  • Susanne Stronge
  • Andrew Sutton
  • Laura Sykes
  • Kay Syrad
  • Peter Thomason
  • Susan Tindall
  • Peter Wellby
  • Meriel Whale
  • Sarah Hill Wheeler
  • Nathanael Wilson
  • Geoffrey Winch
  • Margo Wright

We know it's disappointing for those who aren't included, but we will be sharing some of the other entries in a couple of future blogs as well - and some of the haiku on social media.

Thank you to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve writer-in-residence Louise Kenward for running such a great creative nature writing workshop, which inspired a lot of you to write something for us. Thank you also to poet and editor Rachel Playforth for selecting the contributors for the anthology.  

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