Monday 20 May 2013

Stories For Our Not So Distant Future



A few weeks ago I received an invitation to the launch of Beacons: Stories for our not so distant future; a new collection of short stories themed around climate change. I was disappointed when I couldn't make it because it sounds like a fantastic evening's entertainment. The launch is in fact tomorrow at 6:30pm in the Piccadilly Waterstone's in London. Authors will be reading extracts and discussing the book and I'm sure the free event and refreshments will be full of interesting conversations about all the environmental issues facing our world.

The book has already had good reviews and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy soon, especially because royalties will be donated to the Stop Climate Chaos fund, one of my favourite causes.

The series of short stories looks at where we are today and where we might be heading. Topics cover everything from the practical effects of our meat consumption rate, climate refugees and changing landscapes to more abstract ideas such as the bond between nature and man or the effect that climate change may have on our society.

I already have a whole shelf-full of books on the environment, but not one of them is fiction. So, between my wildlife memoirs, climate change textbooks and ethical shopping guides there is definitely space for this gem. As some of the reviews have already said, there are many worrying impacts that climate change may have on our world in the century to come and climate literature allows us to explore, discuss and imagine what our world may be facing in the future. it is through such discussion that we may be better prepared to act upon whatever it is that our not so distant future holds in store.

So, if you're in London tomorrow pop along to the Piccadilly Waterstone's at 6:30pm and take a look. And if you go, let me know how it went,  I'll be very sorry to miss it.



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