WIN $150 GIFT VOUCHERS: ALADDIN'S GOLD
Wyl Menmuir is a novelist, editor and literary consultant based in Cornwall. He is the author of the Man-Booker nominated novel and Observer Best Fiction of the year pick,The Many, and Fox Fires. His short fiction has appeared in Best British Short Stories and he has been published by Nightjar Press, Kneehigh Theatre and the National Trust. He has written for Radio 4's Open Book, The Guardian and The Observer, and is a regular contributor to the journal Elementum.Born in Stockport in 1979, Wyl now lives in Cornwall with his wife and two children. He is co-creator of the Cornish writing centre, The Writers' Block, and works with Arvon Foundation, National Literacy Trust and Centre for Literacy in Primary Education on national literacy programmes, as well as lecturer in creative writing at Falmouth University.When he is not writing or teaching writing, Wyl enjoys messing around in boats.
""A charming work, full of vitality, that offers fascinating insights into our relationship with trees."" - Tristan Gooley, author of How to Read a Tree ""With warmth and wisdom, Wyl Menmuir chronicles the manifold ways that humanity depends on trees. Journeying from Atlantic rainforests to Japanese forest shrines, Menmuir introduces us to a colourful cast of characters whose hearts lie in the woods: from ship-builders, bodgers and coppicers to roads protestors, tree-worshippers and ecologists. Not since Oliver Rackham has a writer so well appreciated the interweaving of woods and people."" - Guy Shrubsole, author of The Lost Rainforests of Britain and Who Owns England? ‘An uplifting paean to all things arboreal … lyrical, moving and interesting' - Country Life ‘We find how precious woods are and what they can mean for the future, with Menmuir a perfect guide to walk us through the forest.’ - Horticulture Week 'Alongside, and undeniably, there is the sheer enjoyment of being an explorer. His love of the more-than-human world, but also, his love of meeting and talking with people and making their stories come alive... (Menmuir's) writing flows effortlessly.' - Caught by the River ‘Slowly, it seems, we are learning to re-engage with the natural world around us, perhaps in response to online overload or the effects of lockdown, perhaps because we have realised we are becoming disengaged from where we live, be that in local, national, worldwide or interplanetary terms. Wyl Menmuir is ahead of us, animated, informed, and hands-on. I look forward to whatever he chooses to write about next.’ - International Times 'There is something about the writing style of Wyl Menmuir that engages with the subject matter on an ethereal level. So deep-rooted is our connection with trees that these stories transcend the practical and the everyday. He is without doubt one of the best writers currently exploring our connection with nature, or our reconnection with it following centuries of moving away from it in the pursuit of civilisation...We need books like The Heart of the Woods to remind us who we are, what we have lost, and where we need to get back to.' Greg Hackett, Love Reading
