About the event
Gilbert White (1720–1793) has been called both ‘the father of ecology’ and ‘the man who started us all bird-watching’. His magical book, The Natural History of Selborne, packed with detailed observations, humour, curiosity and wonder, transformed the way people looked at and wrote about the natural world.
In this illustrated talk, Jenny Uglow describes his exploration of the village where he lived all his life, and his genius in showing how the creatures of our local patch – from worms to moths, swallows and owls and even a favourite tortoise - can illumine the whole, interlinked ‘economy of nature’.
Speaker
Jenny Uglow writes on literature, art and social history, and she has a special interest in natural history. Her books include award-winning biographies of Eliabeth Gaskell, William Hogarth, Thomas Bewick and Edward Lear, as well as group studies including The Lunar Men and the panoramic In These Times: Living in Britain through Napoleon’s Wars. Her most recent book is A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer. A retired publisher and former Chair of the Council of the Royal Society of Literature, she lives in Borrowdale, Cumbria.
Event information
You can attend this event in person at the Weston Library or watch the livestream.
Attend in person
Watch the livestream
- You can also register to watch this event live via Zoom. You will receive instructions for joining the Zoom webinar in your confirmation email.
- All times listed are UK time.
- Please note: the event will only be available live; it won't be recorded.
