Inspired by Green Gold
2019-06-15
While I was writing Green Gold I was inspired by many wonderful books about botany, exploration, the history and nature of North America, plant hunters, and more. Continue Reading
Book Giveaway – The Brief Life of Flowers
2019-06-08
I have a copy of The Brief Life of Flowers by Fiona Stafford to give away to a lucky reader. “Its elegant, beguiling and scented prose, brings the wonder of plants alive.” Gabriel Hemery, May 2019 Simply sign up to my Newsletter for a change to win. Deadline 23:59, 1stContinue Reading
Film of book launch
2019-05-16
A short film featuring an extract from the launch of GREEN GOLD at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on 26th April. Continue Reading
Brave botanist who fell off the edge of the world
2019-05-03
It was great to see my book Green Gold featured in The Daily Mail’s book section today, and a celebration of John Jeffrey as an ‘astronaut of the age’.Continue Reading
Unearthing the epic true story of a missing Scottish explorer
2019-04-25
Unearthing the epic true story of a missing Scottish explorer. An article first published in The Scotsman, 25 April 2019Continue Reading
John Jeffrey discovered on Twitter
2018-10-27
I had been wondering how best to celebrate the forthcoming publication of my novel about the plant hunter John Jeffrey. Imagine my surprise when the Victorian explorer himself took to Twitter this week! Continue Reading
In celebration of the plant hunter
2018-09-08
To celebrate the lives of plant hunters, like John Jeffrey, here I share some of my favourite books on botany, botanical exploration, and the often extraordinary lives of the plant hunter. Think more Indiana Jones than shy retiring pansies, as these men and women travelled the world in search of plants, valuable for their beauty, medicines, timber, smell, and any number of other benefits.Continue Reading
Limited edition botanical print of Jeffrey Pine
2018-01-09
A new Green Gold subscriber reward has been released: a special, limited edition, botanical print of the Jeffrey Pine. Thanks to a collaboration with botanical artist Nicola Macartney, with links to Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, we are able to offer 100 readers the chance to own a print of Nicola’sContinue Reading
Green Gold newsletter No.9
2017-12-07
No.9 of my occasional newsletter is now available, featuring stories linked to the creation of my historical novel: GREEN GOLD – the lost journals of John Jeffrey. In this issue, a new extract from the book, more stunning botanical art by Nicola Macartney, how to gift a book patronage thisContinue Reading
Green Gold newsletter No.8
2017-10-15
In this bumper issue, expect curious links between flesh-sucking fish and Prince Albert, oh, and more than one new extract from the book.Continue Reading
Western hemlock – a new discovery
2017-09-25
Following visits to Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and Benmore Botanic Garden, botanical artist Nicola Macartney (collaborating in my GREEN GOLD book project) has started work painting sketches of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) including foliage, cones and a section of bark. These elements will be included in the final paintingContinue Reading
No science without art
2017-06-20
Botanical art has long-played a fundamentally important role in plant science. It seems fitting, given the Victorian era of my recent book GREEN GOLD, that I’m teaming up with a very talented botanical artist.Continue Reading
John Jeffrey rediscovered
2017-06-03
In 1849 an influential group of subscribers came together under the care of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) to sponsor a plant-hunter, John Jeffrey, and support his ambitious expedition to North America in 1850. But after his mysterious disappearance, just four years later, he was soon all-but-forgotten. I’m delighted to announce that the little-known exploits of John Jeffrey will be celebrated in public for the first time, fittingly in a new collaboration with RBGE.Continue Reading
A plant-hunter’s extraordinary journey
2017-05-14
John Jeffrey, the main character in my latest book Green Gold, walked, paddled and rode at least 10,000 miles across North America while hunting for plants from 1850-4. During the two years I spent researching and writing the book I plotted his travels in detail and can now publish the route in full for the first time.Continue Reading