Clearly, any well-kept garden will be a source of pleasure in the summer months; in the bleak urban midwinter, however, there are few activities more likely to energise the spirit than a botanical walk. John Burnside activitybleakbotanical share on social
A modern arboretum brings us that ancient forest and, with it, a changed apprehension of time, a renewed appreciation of the elegance of natural form and a renewed sense of wonder at the variety of the world we inhabit. John Burnside ancientappreciationapprehension share on social
All my life, I have been a celebrant of Halloween. For me, it is the most important day of the year, the turning point in the old pagan calendar. John Burnside calendarcelebrantday Change image and share on social
Andoya is in a different world, set at the northern edge of Europe in what seems to be a time and weather of its own. John Burnside andoyaedgeeurope Change image and share on social
'Moby-Dick' really threw me. I read it when I was 14 and my best friends were books. It changed the way I looked at the world. John Burnside bookchangedick Change image and share on social
It takes a true encounter to realise that real animals, wild animals, have all but passed from our lives. John Burnside animalencounterlive Change image and share on social
The animal encounter poem is now so distinct a genre that it would be possible to create a full-length anthology from deer encounter poems alone, and many varieties of experience would emerge from such an exercise. John Burnside animalanthologycreate share on social
One day I was talking about what I was going to do next, and just found myself announcing it: 'I'm going to write a book about my father.' John Burnside announcebookday Change image and share on social
This is a truth that should be repeated like a mantra: to have any chance of a ful - filling life, we require not only clean air and a steady climate, but also an abundance of meadows and woodlands, rivers and oceans, teeming with life and the mass existence of other living creatures. John Burnside abundanceairchance share on social
The son of a Fife mining town sledder of coal-bings, bottle-forager, and picture-house troglodyte, I was decidedly urban and knew little about native fauna, other than the handful of birds I saw on trips to the beach or Sunday walks. John Burnside beachbingbird share on social
