A while back I wrote about the hedgehogs of Truro - the wonderful creatures that adorned a major roundabout in the Cornish town. Well, they have been given a make-over and one of them, Denzil, is on the way to the Chelsea Flower Show (in fact I hope he has already got there as it has started!)
Gardens are so important for hedgehogs - or rather they can be so important, if we are willing to let them in ... and share a bit with nature. This is illustrated brilliantly in the new book from Kate Bradbury - One Garden Against the World: In Search of Hope in a Changing Climate.
Kate's book is due out on the 6th June and I am so fortunate to have had a chance to read a proof ... I am humbled by her skill, it is a superb book and even if it did not have hedgehogs in it, I would still sing its praises. But - it is FULL of hedgehogs ... Please - treat yourself - find a copy, borrow a copy - you will not be disappointed.
Last weekend I ended up talking about hedgehogs in my slot on the stage I run at the wonderful Wood Festival - I wrote a piece on my substack page about the time there - so many amazing speakers sharing tears and laughter and even some martial arts skills!
I wonder whether there will be any hedgehogs on Springwatch? Anyone got any insider knowledge? Please let us know! Obviously, you can't on here, but you can at the Facebook Group - or on the Substack version of this update.
Next Tuesday I will be talking in Hay about my new book - Cull of the Wild ... I LOVE talking at this literary festival but it seriously makes me nervous ... that event is sold out, but on the Saturday I am recording BBC Radio 4's Start the Week - alongside one of my literary heroes ... Robin Wall Kimmerer - author of the superb Braiding Sweetgrass ... nerves for that are through the roof - wish me luck!
Oh - I noticed that someone took to twitter to attack me for being 'disgusting' for using this platform to talk about the books I write ... given the state of the world, from crumbling NHS to war to ecological catastrophe, I get the feeling that they might be a little out of proportion!