Green Gold – a new book in the making

I’m excited to announce the funding launch of my latest book. Green Gold is a biographical fiction novel featuring the extraordinary but little-known true story of John Jeffrey, a young Victorian tree hunter.

“The Revenant (Michael Punke) meets The Invention of Nature (Andrea Wulf).”

I have a contract to produce the book with Unbound Publishing, an award-winning crowdfunding publisher that brings books to life. I’m particularly pleased to be supporting this publishing model which is a modern twist on how books used to be published. It means people can pledge their support, and follow the book in the making.

A number of ‘rewards’ are available in return for a pledge of support. Every supporter will receive a copy of the book (ebook or paperback) with their own name (or the name of someone special) included within its pages. Pledge a little more and you could choose from a talk by the author at a place of your choosing, an invitation to the book launch, a private view of an unique exhibition, or a guided walk with the author.

I have a page online at unbound.com/books/green-gold where you can find out more and pledge your support.

I’ve also made a short film to introduce the book.

Green Gold – synopsis

In 1850 young Scottish tree-hunter John Jeffrey is despatched by an elite group of Victorian subscribers to seek highly-prized exotic tree species in North America. An early letter home tells of a 1,200 mile transcontinental journey on foot. Later, tantalising botanical samples arrive from British Columbia, Oregon and California, yet early promise soon withers. Three years after setting out John Jeffrey disappears without a trace. Was he lost to love, violence or the Gold Rush? The secrets of the extraordinary adventure lie in his precious journals which remained lost, until their discovery and reproduction, 160 years later in 2018.

Green Gold is a biographical fiction novel based on a true story told by Gabriel Hemery, a contemporary tree-hunter, forest scientist and author of the award-winning book The New Sylva.

Find out how to support the book