Wildest Dream

David Gee (1972-2024) was a writer, activist, dancer and potter with a particular interest in the meaning of hope in the face of global crises. He wrote and campaigned extensively on challenging militarisation in contemporary UK culture and on confronting ecological breakdown.Wildest Dream is David’s fourth and final book, following previous writing on hope, faith and militarism. He lived on his boat Promise, most recently in Oxford.

• Editor’s foreword1. The prince of leaves2. The gaze of the Green Man3. The madness of Merlin4. The riot of Robin5. Gathering in the greenPostscript ThanksNotes and referencesSelect bibliography

"I didn't know David Gee. This eloquent and insightful exploration of the most enduring and alluring enigmas in western folk culture makes me wish I had. A genuinely captivating read." Amy-Jane Beer"A breath of wild truth runs through this book, carrying the rumour of a world worth living for, a hope born on the far side of despair and an invitation to lean towards life. Would that each of us might find a way to make a gift out of our lives, as David Gee has done. Listen carefully to the stories he left us in these pages and you will find clues for how it can be done." Dougald Hine“This is so much more than a history of the Green Man - this is a manifesto for change. From Mesopotamian gods to Merlin, from Robin Hood to road protests, the Green Man is considered in his multiple manifestations, always with a keen eye to his contemporary relevance. Dizzingly well-informed and unashamedly poetic, the result is not just fascinating, it is profoundly moving - perhaps even life-changing." Clare Shaw"Gee leads us on a merry dance through the shadows and the light, peeling back the undergrowth to reveal the Green Man's face: so familiar, so unknown, and ultimately so full of hope. A wild, joyful tangle of a book and an ecological quest." Nick Hunt