Canopy - an anthology of writing for the Urban Tree Festival

Canopy is a beautifully illustrated 20 page chapbook anthology of poems and flash stories inspired by the writing of four acclaimed writers who celebrated anniversaries in 2020. The sale proceeds of which will go towards supporting future Urban Tree Festivals.

2020 marks the anniversary of some key poets and writers who have put nature writing on the map.

It is 200 years since the first publication of poems by John Clare, the first book was called 'Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery' published in 1820. Unlike poet and writer contemporaries he came from the labouring classes, frequently described as England's greatest nature poet.

It is 250 years since the birth of Romantic poet William Wordsworth, a contemporary of Clare, his upbringing and background was far different. He too, strode out and described landscape and the influence of nature, with trees playing an important part.

It is 300 years since the birth of Gilbert White, naturalist and ornithologist who wrote the seminal “Natural History and Antiquities of Selbourne”.

400 years ago John Evelyn was born, a diarist and gardener. He possibly wrote the first book on trees: 'Sylva, or A Discourse of Forest Trees' in 1664.

Ten pieces, 3 poems and 7 stories were chosen through a competition run by the Museum of Walking and Sampson LowPublishers in Spring 2020, in which writers were invited to submit a story of 250 words or fewer.

The winning authors whose poems and stories are included are:

Paul Chown, Nick Fox, Deborah Harrison, Robert Hogg, Rachel Playforth, Albert Pellicer, E.E. Rhodes, Mark Stewart, Joseph Surtees and Amanda Tuke.

We would like to thank Alban Low for the illustrations.