Stories in the Land: The Bedrock Walk

Setting off today, a small group of people are planning to walk together from Dalwhinnie to Glen Nevis; taking part in a mobile conference, an on-going conversation, a collaborative venture, a sharing of skills and points of view. 

This journey is called "The Bedrock Walk: a journey through geological time" and is part of the RSGS's Stories in the Land project.

The diverse group on the Bedrock Walk will include geologists, geographers, educators, writers, musicians and artists.  They will be following the Thieves' Road, which was used at a drove road and smugglers' path for centuries.

Using as its foundational idea the rock that underpins their journey, the multi-disciplinary group will share, learn, collect and create along the way. 

It’s impossible to predict outcomes, as in any walking journey, but they hope to generate new stories and explore some of the following questions (and more): 

• What stories, history, music, sound are ‘held’ or inspired by the rocks and stones and land.
• How was the landscape made and how does the geology determine what flourishes?
• Why it became an important route.
• The part played by human culture in the past and currently.
•  What does time mean in such a context, and what future might we imagine for the places we move through?
• How does the physicality and rhythm of walking for several days help us to access any of this?

Find out more about the Bedrock Walk, and the Stories in the Land project at www.storiesintheland.blogspot.co.uk

Beacons: Stories for our Not So Distant Future.

This week sees the publication of a book of short stories by leading UK authors depicting visions of a positive sustainable future, which was inspired by the villages of Guildtown and Wolfhill.     During the Climate Challenge Funded GW Carbon CAP scheme ten authors were invited to spend the weekend in discussion with locals, leading environmentalists and a range of experts.   The authors gave poetry and prose readings for villagers, ran sessions for local children in how to draw cartoons, and took part in a ceilidh and a number of other social events.    Expenses and costs were funded by the Climate Challenge Fund and the Sibthorp Trust. 

Authors meet in Wolfhill.

After the weekend, the writers were challenged to create their own short stories.    In all, twenty one leading authors have contributed stories to the book, and the list is very impressive, including people such as Alasdair Gray (author of Lanark), AL Kennedy (author of Day and So I Am Glad), Janice Galloway (author of The Trick is To Keep Breathing), Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) and cartoonist Nick Hayes, who has drawn a graphic short story and designed the book’s cover. By engaging such talented writers, who can portray positive and engaging stories of the social and quality of life benefits of taking positive action, it is hoped that more people should be able to visualise and be willing to embrace the sorts of necessary change. 

Beacons: Stories for our not so distant future.

The Book, entitled ‘Beacons, Stories for our not so distant future’ was released on March 8th, during the UK Government’s Climate Week, and is the brain child of Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of RSGS, who along with the editor Gregory Norminton, has been looking to get this book written and produced for the past seven years.    It retails at £8.99 from One world publications, and a donation from every book sold will go towards Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, the largest coalition ever formed in Scotland, which continues to seek positive action on climate change, and which Mike helped found and chaired from 2006-2010.

Mike said “This book is intended to communicate to the heart and imagination, in a way that much scientific literature struggles to do.    Some people seem to fear change more than they fear climate change.   We hope this book of short stories will challenge, engage, amuse and inspire people and that it might encourage people to think about the sorts of changes they can make to help.”