Love Letters on the River

Carly Holmes lives and writes in a small village on the banks of the river Teifi in west Wales. She is the author of the novels The Scrapbook, which was shortlisted for the International Rubery Book Award, and Crow Face, Doll Face. Her short story collection,Figurehead, was published by Tartarus Press in limited edition hardback and reprinted in paperback by Parthian Books. She has had numerous stories published in journals and anthologies.

• ForewordBEYOND THE GARDEN WALL:Mating Cuckoos by Foxhill FarmJuvenile Osprey on the Teifi EstuarySkydancing Ravens at Cwm GwaunNightjar at Cross Inn ForestBittern at the Teifi MarshesIN THE GARDEN:RuntyTapdancing Tawny OwlsSteak Dinner for FourDes ResPumpkin EyesThe Bereft SparrowhawkDawn ChorusBEYOND THE GARDEN WALL:Winter Barn Owl over the Teifi MarshesHobbies at Cors CaronSwifts at the Watch HouseRacing Swans on the TeifiMurmurating Starlings over the Teifi MarshesCrossbills at Pantmaenog ForestAfterword

"the book imparts the sheer love for the wild that the author feels, and she articulates the emotional impact of the encounters beautifully... it's safe to say you'll enjoy this particular tribute to the wild." Lizzie Wilberforce, Nature Cymru"Holmes' writing belongs with the new wave of nature writers like Kathleen Jamie or Robert Macfarlane. But her voice is different. Quieter, more modest. Less about grandeur, more about intimacy... It is a book of humility, beauty, and attentiveness." Jessica McQuade, the welsh agenda"a deeply evocative meditation on the Teifi river, its wildlife, and the surrounding landscape ... As well as being a book to lose yourself in, it adds to the growing body of ecological writing that could help to reshape and rebalance the Earth."  Jenny White, Western Mail"Holmes' love letters, addressed to water, to weather, to the wild world we forget we belong to, are tender but un-whimsical, rooted in the real. And the result is beguiling: an unconventional devotional, full of feeling, wild magic, and awe." Mab Jones, Buzz Magazine"With so much of what we might call 'new nature writing' now which focuses on the plight of the planet - and rightly so - it's been a pleasure to sit back for once and just enjoy the pure elation of traditionally immersive and beautiful nature writing... Love Letters on the River provides a reminder of why we love nature, how we appreciate it, and when that happens we naturally want to protect it." Lottie Williams, Nation.Cymru