A deep dive into nature memoirs

And my top book recommendations

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It was last year, after I finished reading The Salt Path, that I truly understood both what a nature memoir was and, crucially, the power these books hold.

The exponential growth of this genre demonstrates that I am not alone.

What is a nature memoir?

Nature writing is not new. Humans have been observing and describing nature for centuries.

However, nature memoirs take this more traditional nature writing one step further.

In many of these books, nature becomes a protagonist in itself. Rather than just describing nature in an impersonal way, these authors delve into their emotional response to nature and the impact this relationship has on their lives.

They are stories of ‘us within nature’.

How nature writing has evolved

Early nature writing appeared very formulaic. Much of this writing leant towards depicting natural history, often stuffed with scientific facts, alongside more poetic descriptions of nature.

Nature writers were, more often than not, white, middle-class men, off exploring some wild region of the globe.

Although this writing has its merits, these privileged circumstances could make nature feel inaccessible, with readers struggling to relate this to their own experience of nature.

In recent years, things have shifted. There is a welcome growing diversification of nature authors from a whole range of locations, cultures and backgrounds. This has refreshed and given a whole new energy to this genre.

Why this genre is booming

It is perhaps unsurprising that the rise in popularity of nature memoirs coincided with lock down.

In May 2020, 36% of people responding to the People and Nature Survey by Natural England said they were spending more time outside during the pandemic than before. This rose to 46% in July 2020.

Lock down meant that the majority of us spent more time at home. With much of our leisure activities being impossible, many of us were choosing to explore our local area and get out in nature.

For perhaps the first time, many of us were taking the time to really notice the nature around us. It offered solace in what had become a very turbulent world.

Why these books are so powerful

Our wildlife is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. This is something we can no longer deny. It seems like every day there is another scary statistic publicised.

This is why these modern nature memoirs are so important. They bring awareness and encourage connection with nature, which many of us have lost in this technological age.

We need nature. More and more research is showing that humans rely on the natural world for both our physical and mental health.

These nature memoirs offer a powerful link to nature that is vital.

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My relationship with nature memoirs

I count myself as exceptionally privileged that I have a strong connection with nature.

As children, we often lived in rural environments and were always encouraged to play outside. I studied and worked in wildlife conservation for 10 years. I live in the Scottish Highlands where there is a wealth of nature on my doorstep.

I feel like reading these memoirs has further deepened this relationship. Its been fascinating and humbling to see nature through other’s eyes and witness the healing power of the natural world.

These stories have sparked my own creativity and I find myself being drawn to capture the nature in my life more than ever.

My nature memoir recommendations

There are so many wonderful books in this genre that I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. However, I’ve listed my favourite titles and summaries below, to get you started and excited about exploring this thriving genre. Trust me, you won’t regret it…