Art Exhibition & Book Launch

‘The Long Spring’

6.30pm Friday 16th March

Wivenhoe Bookshop

& 7.30pm at the Nottage Institute

Entry £4 on the door

Wivenhoe Quay

Join us for the launch of Laurence Rose’s The Long Spring  – we’ll start with the Private View of Wivenhoe artist Richard Allen’s beautiful illustrations for the book at the Bookshop Shed, and proceed to the Nottage for Laurence’s presentation.

About the Book

Exploring Europe’s remarkable heritage of exceptional places and the wildlife, traditions and people associated with them, in February 2016 Laurence Rose crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa and set off on a series of journeys northwards towards the Arctic coast of Norway, all the while keeping pace with the arrival of spring.

Like a modern-day pilgrimage, he is accompanied by fellow wayfarers, migrating swallows and cranes and later, wild swans and eagles. He witnesses the awakening of a continent from its winter slumber and encounters new behaviours, such as storks that no longer migrate, exploring how they link to climate change. From Spain, Laurence headed north through France and Britain. Crossing over to Sweden, Finland and Norway, he ended his travels four months later as the long Arctic days stretched into continuous daylight.

In The Long Spring, Laurence evokes the landscapes, sounds and colours of the continent at its most vibrant. And as a lifelong naturalist, his journeys tracking the world’s most significant and beautiful phenomenon – spring – were a chance to explore the past, present and future of our connections to nature, reflecting on three decades of work and travel in Europe and his own long relationship with wildlife.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Richard Allen.

About the Author

Laurence Rose is a naturalist and conservationist whose work has ranged from creating urban greenspace to advocating global treaties. He has worked for the RSPB in roles as diverse as nature reserve management, international capacity building and community engagement. Take a look at Laurence’s blog here.

Laurence is also active in the arts, as a creator, curator and administrator, often working with artists inspired by nature.

About the Artist

Richard Allen is an artist and illustrator based in East Anglia amid the creeks and marshes of the Essex coast.

His great passion is the natural world, particularly birds, and the Colne estuary near his home in Wivenhoe provides plenty of inspiration, especially in winter when large flocks of waders and wildfowl flock to the coast.

A freelance illustrator with over 30 years experience, Richard has worked in publishing, newspapers, stamp design, and on interpretation illustrations for many conservation bodies, including the RSPB and National Trust. Check out Richard’s website here.