Join us and share your passion for reading! Our Place: Can We Save Britain’s Wildlife Before It Is Too Late? by Mark Cocker has been revealed as our new Book Club book.
Every two months we will meet virtually over tea and biscuits to discuss some of the best works in contemporary literature. We’ll explore short stories, novels, non-fiction, poetry, and works in translation, making these informal and friendly sessions the perfect way to meet like-minded readers and to discover exciting new reads. We’ll always choose books that are easy to purchase in hard copy online or via Kindle.
Virtual Book Club: Our Place
Our next virtual book club will discuss Mark Cocker’s ‘sobering and magnificent’ examination of Britain’s relationship with the land: Our Place: Can We Save Britain’s Wildlife Before It Is Too Late? Mark is an environmental activist and one of our greatest nature writers, with 11 books to his name so far. Alex Preston from the Guardian called Our Place ‘a seriously great book, important and urgent… As soon as I finished Our Place, I packaged up my copy and sent it off to Michael Gove… this is the kind of book that demands action.’
There are plenty of ways for you to get involved with the book club from home:
Subscribe and listen to the Writing Life podcast
Tune in to the next episode of The Writing Life podcast (coming this week) where Flo Reynolds will give a brief introduction to the Book Club and Mark’s book.
Join our new online community
We’ve launched a new community space on Discord to help readers and writers connect in these unusual times. Book Club members were the first to be invited, so come and join the discussion! Click here to claim your free spot.
Take part in a virtual book club discussion via Zoom
If you’re looking for something a little more interactive, you can join us in January for a virtual book club discussion by video! Just sign-up for free and we will send you instructions ahead of time.
Sign-up for 5 – 6.30pm GMT, Tuesday 26 January 2021
Sign-up for 5.30 – 7pm GMT, Friday 29 January 2021
Spaces are limited so we recommend booking your place in advance.
Try our questions and suggested activities based on the book
Our Place: Questions for readers
Writing exercise inspired by Our Place
Recommended reads for fans of Mark Cocker
Send us your thoughts via social media or email
We’d love to hear what you thought of the book. You can email us any time at info@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk or contact us via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to share your comments – and if you’re happy for us to do so, we can read them aloud on the Writing Life podcast.
Where can I buy the book?
Many of your favourite independent bookshops are continuing their business online or by phone and will deliver anywhere in the UK. Why not give them a shout?
You can shop over 150 independent bookshops online now at uk.bookshop.org
Norwich – The Book Hive, Jarrold, Tombland Books, Bookbugs and Dragon Tales, Abstract Sprockett, Norfolk Children’s Book Centre
London – Burley Fisher Books, Daunt Books, Brick Lane Bookshop, Pages of Hackney, Dulwich Books, Stoke Newington Bookshop, South Kensington Books, Newham Bookshop, Pages of Cheshire Street, The All Good Bookshop, Pickled Pepper Books, Owl Bookshop, Persephone Books
Edinburgh – Golden Hare Books, Typewronger Books
Wadhurst – Barnetts Books
York – Ken Spelman Books
Petersfield – The Petersfield Bookshop
Stockton-on-Tees – Drake the Bookshop
Arundel and Chichester – Kim’s Bookshop
Nottingham – Five Leaves Bookshop
Hexham, Northumberland – Cogito Books
Explore The Bookseller’s list of independent bookshops and the services they can offer
Our Place is also available for purchase as an eBook and Audiobook.