I’ll be talking about my latest book-in-progress GREEN GOLD at Oxford Blackwells on Friday 13th October. Tickets £5. Read More
No science without art
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. Read More
Rethinking the history of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Europe: its origins and human interactions

I’ve recently co-authored this scientific paper which reveals the history of common walnut in Europe. Abstract Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its high-quality wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that after the last glaciation J. regia survived and grew in almost completely isolated stands in Asia, and… Read More
Philosophy is forestry’s child

It’s just one week to go until my new book is released on Amazon. The Man Who Harvested Trees and Gifted Life is a sequel to Jean Giono’s 1954 classic masterpiece The Man Who Planted Trees and Grew Happiness. Read More
The New Sylva takes shape
Sylvan reflections by copy-editor Rachael Oakden
A guest blog by our copy-editor provides an interesting perspective on The New Sylva which is published by Bloomsbury early next year.
Sylvan reflections by copy-editor Rachael Oakden
Copy-editor Rachael Oakden writes about her experience working on The New Sylva. As the freelance editor commissioned by Bloomsbury to copy-edit The New Sylva, I have been immersed in the world of forestry and wood culture for the past six months. It is a world that I was unfamiliar with before Gabriel Hemery’s unedited manuscript… Read More
First sample chapters produced
Our deadline to complete copy editing is the end of June, so Gabriel Hemery has been working hard with the copy editor to finish on time. Meanwhile, the authors have also been working with the team at Bloomsbury Publishing to produce the first sample chapters. This is the first time that text and image have… Read More
Publishing team meeting at Bloomsbury
The authors met the publishing team at Bloomsbury yesterday, including editorial, design, marketing, publicity and sales. This was the first occasion that the authors had met the whole team. It was a milestone in the book’s development as it signified that from now on all of us will be working very closely to turn what… Read More