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
Sometimes, when the wind hits hard and icicles form on the sea cliffs, we can all come together - and at those times, we are at our best. John Burnside cliffformhard Change image and share on social
The woods were a boon; all too often, the forest offered danger and mystery. Yet it could be liberating. If you entered that wild place on its own terms, you might be accorded wisdom. John Burnside accordboondanger Change image and share on social
Sadly, bird illustration has always been an under-appreciated art. John Burnside appreciateartbird Change image and share on social
My first book was a car crash. I tried to find all the copies and destroy them. John Burnside bookcarcopy 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
What makes me write is the rhythm of the world around me - the rhythms of the language, of course, but also of the land, the wind, the sky, other lives. Before the words comes the rhythm - that seems to me to be of the essence. John Burnside essencelandlanguage share on social
With all the goodwill and local initiative in the world, we are not about to rewild anything until we change our way of thinking about our place in the creaturely world. John Burnside changecreaturelygoodwill Change image and share on social
Growing up, I lived in a house without art: no picture books on the shelves, no visits to museums, no posters on the bedroom wall. John Burnside artbedroombook Change image and share on social
The fabric of a garden is determined as much by its textures as by its tonal range and architectural flair. John Burnside architecturaldeterminefabric Change image and share on social
