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Mary Colwell is an author, producer and campaigner for nature. She has written for The Guardian, BBC Wildlife, The Tablet, Country Life and many other publications. She has made TV and radio documentaries for the BBC Natural History Unit and has published three books: John Muir – The Scotsman Who Saved America’s Wild Places, Curlew Moon and Beak, Tooth and Claw. Mary has won a Sony Radio Academy Gold Award, the David Bellamy Award for her conservation work on curlews, the WWT Marsh Award for Conservation, the BTO Dilys Breese Medal for outstanding science communication and, in 2022, she was awarded the prestigious RSPB Medal. In 2020, she set up the charity Curlew Action. Mary also spearheaded the successful campaign to introduce a GCSE in Natural History in England from 2025.
A compelling storyteller, Colwell’s 500-mile pilgrimage is rich with memories, myths and associations from the past. In this deeply poetic journey into an inner and an outer landscape, the natural world is often her only companion, powerfully evoked and brilliantly observed. * Caroline Lucas MP * In The Gathering Place, Mary Colwell is a candle of open-minded curiosity, and she reminds us that while clear answers are hard to come by, we should never stop asking questions. * Patrick Laurie, author of Native * An unforgettable story of heroes and villains, kindness and horror, holiness and wickedness, miracles, bizarre legends, lost souls, and eventually, solace in a troubled world. Not to be missed. * Michael McCarthy, author of The Moth Snowstorm * Mary Colwell brings an inspiring sense of openness, courage, humility and loving curiosity to her daily encounters with the natural and human worlds. * Jeremy Mynott, author of The Consolation of Nature * A rich tapestry full of myth, wisdom and humility, accompanied always by evocative musings on the natural world, enveloped in hope and sprinkled with humour. -- Tiffany Francis-Baker * Resurgence * This is a masterpiece of storytelling about a journey that will move hearts and minds alike. * Nick Mayhew-Smith, author of Britain’s Pilgrim Places * Beautifully written. * Kate Green, Country Life * The Gathering Place is much more than a travel book down a well-trodden path. It is a brutally honest examination of why we are as we are, and just how important the cultural landmarks of our lives have become in a world of anxiety and change. Brave, tough and surprisingly funny, this is a witness statement from one of the UK's great campaigners. * Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold * Amazing. * Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us * The Gathering Place is a beautiful thing: like a warm crystal, full of light, reflecting and refracting and celebrating everything both inside and outside the book. * Charles Foster, author of Being a Human * An enjoyable account of a popular pilgrimage in unusual circumstances. -- Philip Welsh * Church Times * The Gathering Place is sheer literary alchemy; Colwell’s words are mica-spangled and penetrating. * @anotherbloodybook, Instagram *
