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Fergus The Silent has won the 2023 Creative Writing Award of the Association for The Study of Literature and the Environment, the body which represents teachers and scholars of environmental writing and eco-criticism. The chair of the judges, Richard Kerridge, leader of the MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, said: “This is a wonderful novel. It combines a passionate and complex and at times disastrously painful love story, with a story about species loss and extinction, of a particularly ingenious and exciting kind.” Fergus The Silent by Michael McCarthy In 1983 Fergus Pryng, an idealistic young naturalist, was sent to survey Lanna, remotest of all the Scottish islands, which had never been surveyed before, and discovered there something so remarkable that it would have caused a global sensation – had he disclosed it. But Fergus did not tell the world of his discovery. Instead, he devoted his life to keeping it a secret, for 17 years, sacrificing his career, his marriage and his happiness – until the threat of nearby deep-sea oil development forced the astonishing truth out into the open, with ultimately catastrophic results. What made Fergus keep his secret, and whether or not he was right to do so, are the questions Michael McCarthy makes central to this extraordinary story, because they go to the heart of one of the key issues of our time – the increasingly tragic nature of the human relationship with the Earth. Fergus The Silent highlights this issue in a particularly acute way, in the story of one singular and solitary individual with an unquenchable love for the natural world, himself a tragic figure whose fate is unforgettable. |
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Michael McCarthy is one of Britain’s leading writers on the environment and the natural world, and has won a string of awards for his work as Environment Correspondent of The Times and Environment Editor of The Independent. As an author he has written Say Goodbye To The Cuckoo (2009) and The Moth Snowstorm – Nature and Joy (2015) both of which were widely praised, with the latter book shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and the Richard Jefferies Prize. Most recently he has written (with Jeremy Mynott and Peter Marren) The Consolation of Nature – Spring in the Time of Coronavirus (2020) which was chosen as one of The Guardian’s Nature Books of The Year. This is his first novel.. |
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Category Archives: explore
key titles on Bookshelf
Fergus the silent
The Horse Leads the Way- Honoring the True Role of the Horse in Equine Facilitated Practice
Angela Dunning
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Author Website Also Available from Amazon |
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Angela is a sensitive, intuitive horsewoman. She is also a healer, teacher, writer, community worker and consummate holder of sacred space. She delivers private sessions, talks, workshops, taster sessions, supervision, mentoring and training. She specializes in supporting women through navigating their own personal growth, reconnecting to their bodies, and reclaiming their true essence. Angela lives in Herefordshire, England and delivers her work in the UK and abroad by invitation.
Angela's website is www.thehorsestruth.co.uk
Angela's website is www.thehorsestruth.co.uk
Reader Reviews...
Juli Lynch, Ph.D. Author of The Personality Archetypes of Horsemanship and The Seven Aspects of Human and Horse Transformation and founder of Epala, an equine facilitated coaching and counseling program.
“I LOVE this book. The Horse Leads the Way is a deeply significant and important book that finally outlines clearly the need to honor the horse as the lead facilitator in equine facilitated work. It challenges paradigms that have placed the horse in the role of an object to be acted upon by human facilitators and clients in this growing field, and puts forth a compelling and beautifully written perspective that sees the horse as a sentient being, who is capable beyond a doubt to enter into an inter-species relationship of equality with humans. This book asks those of us working in the field to look deeply within ourselves first and foremost, to seek our own transformation so that we can stand alongside our clients as interpreters and guides – as witnesses to profound processes that horses can and will offer when allowed and honored for who they truly are. This book will be required reading in all my equine facilitated training programs.”
Mike Delaney, Director of LEAP
“I believe that Angela’s book is a true testament to her beliefs that we must treat our equine friends with the love and respect that they deserve and as equal partners and not simply as a ‘useful tool’. You will feel Angela’s empathy and passion on every page. It is an extremely thought provoking and at times challenging read as it asks questions that, as professionals, we should be asking ourselves in order to build the most authentic and compassionate relationship with our horses. This book poses strong questions about how we treat our equine partners and if we value enough their staggering contribution. Do we appreciate this? Do we value them enough? Do we treat them as equal partners or ‘tools’ to be picked up and discarded as required? I believe that Angela’s insights are powerful and are a breath of fresh air in today’s equine assisted world. Some may even find it a difficult read as it really questions what we do, but I would urge everyone to read it and take from it what you need to improve your professional practice and the lives of your horses; ultimately creating a more valuable and positive experience for our clients.”
Amazon Review
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to include horses in any kind of interventions intended to benefit humans, whether for therapy, personal development or learning. Angela's perspective comes from a deep lifelong connection with horses and her practical and encouraging approach leaves us with no excuse for not questioning and reflecting on our own practice - valuing the horses as central to this work. I would highly recommend this book for those who are new to equine facilitated work and for those who have been doing it for many years. There is always more to learn.
Amazon Review
Employing an engaging mixture of practical advice and personal stories, this book covers wide ranging areas in this developing field of work. The author deals with complex topics sensitively, clearly and with a passion which always keeps the reader interested
Juli Lynch, Ph.D. Author of The Personality Archetypes of Horsemanship and The Seven Aspects of Human and Horse Transformation and founder of Epala, an equine facilitated coaching and counseling program.
“I LOVE this book. The Horse Leads the Way is a deeply significant and important book that finally outlines clearly the need to honor the horse as the lead facilitator in equine facilitated work. It challenges paradigms that have placed the horse in the role of an object to be acted upon by human facilitators and clients in this growing field, and puts forth a compelling and beautifully written perspective that sees the horse as a sentient being, who is capable beyond a doubt to enter into an inter-species relationship of equality with humans. This book asks those of us working in the field to look deeply within ourselves first and foremost, to seek our own transformation so that we can stand alongside our clients as interpreters and guides – as witnesses to profound processes that horses can and will offer when allowed and honored for who they truly are. This book will be required reading in all my equine facilitated training programs.”
Mike Delaney, Director of LEAP
“I believe that Angela’s book is a true testament to her beliefs that we must treat our equine friends with the love and respect that they deserve and as equal partners and not simply as a ‘useful tool’. You will feel Angela’s empathy and passion on every page. It is an extremely thought provoking and at times challenging read as it asks questions that, as professionals, we should be asking ourselves in order to build the most authentic and compassionate relationship with our horses. This book poses strong questions about how we treat our equine partners and if we value enough their staggering contribution. Do we appreciate this? Do we value them enough? Do we treat them as equal partners or ‘tools’ to be picked up and discarded as required? I believe that Angela’s insights are powerful and are a breath of fresh air in today’s equine assisted world. Some may even find it a difficult read as it really questions what we do, but I would urge everyone to read it and take from it what you need to improve your professional practice and the lives of your horses; ultimately creating a more valuable and positive experience for our clients.”
Amazon Review
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to include horses in any kind of interventions intended to benefit humans, whether for therapy, personal development or learning. Angela's perspective comes from a deep lifelong connection with horses and her practical and encouraging approach leaves us with no excuse for not questioning and reflecting on our own practice - valuing the horses as central to this work. I would highly recommend this book for those who are new to equine facilitated work and for those who have been doing it for many years. There is always more to learn.
Amazon Review
Employing an engaging mixture of practical advice and personal stories, this book covers wide ranging areas in this developing field of work. The author deals with complex topics sensitively, clearly and with a passion which always keeps the reader interested