Write Out Loud (Reviews and Writing)

I had been introduced to Macfarlane’s writing just recently, via ‘my other job’ – writing theatre reviews for Northern Arts Review – when I was commissioned to review the theatrical production, at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake, based on this book and ‘The Lost Words’.

I was really touched by the message of the production – fundamentally one of encouraging children ‘of all ages including old’ to re-find the magic of nature before it is gone forever. And not knowing the names of things means you never know they were there in the first place. I recall days of youth watching children’s programmes that would often teach knots, names of wild flowers, birds, stitching…all sorts of things that just aren’t taught any longer. They’re disappearing – quite literally – and I didn’t notice. I had forgotten their names.

My former gig was that of a classroom teacher. One thing good teachers tell you when you’re a trainee is: learn their names. We know there is power in names when you’re in the classroom. Call a child by their name and you know them; you see them – and they know it. Don’t know a name and they become anonymous and can do anything. No wonder it is a longtime favourite prank of kids when they have a new (young) teacher to invent names or swap names in the register call. A wise teacher knows this game and quickly takes that power away.

So names are important and Macfarlane knows this.

But what do you get in this book? Two very magical things.

Firstly, you get awesome pictures from Jackie Morris. They fill the book with a very special power. Somehow, you can hear every sound the birds and animals make, every rustling in the trees, every blow of the wind. A great sense of peace and beauty pervades. It is the closest thing to nature you can find in a book.

Secondly, you get the poems of Macfarlane himself. They are light, easy, delightful to hear, delightful to speak. They are clever, but not esoteric. They are engaging and childlike, but not childish. There’s a simple joy here and yet it is deep.

The result is a book I will keep on a shelf awaiting the (hoped for) coming of grandchildren in the next few years to come. I am going to read these to and with my grandchildren and I am going to rediscover the joys and mysteries of nature with them. I can’t wait. It’ll be magic.

Social Entrepreneur, educationalist, bestselling author and journalist, D K Powell is the author of the bestselling collection of literary short stories “The Old Man on the Beach“. His first book, ‘Sonali’ is a photo-memoir journal of life in Bangladesh and has been highly praised by the Bangladeshi diaspora worldwide. Students learning the Bengali language have also valued the English/Bengali translations on every page. His third book is ‘Try not to Laugh’ and is a guide to memorising, revising and passing exams for students.

Both ‘The Old Man on the Beach’ and ‘Sonali’ are available on Amazon for kindle and paperback. Published by Shopno Sriti Media. The novel,’The Pukur’, was published by Histria Books in 2022.

D K Powell is available to speak at events (see his TEDx talk here) and can be contacted at dkpowell.contact@gmail.com. Alternatively, he is available for one-to-one mentoring and runs a course on the psychology of writing. Listen to his life story in interview with the BBC here.

Ken writes for a number of publications around the world. Past reviewer for Paste magazine, The Doughnut, E2D and United Airways and Lancashire Life magazine. Currently reviews for Northern Arts Review. His reviews have been read more than 7.9 million times.

Get a free trial and 20% off Shortform by clicking here. Shortform is a brilliant tool and comes with my highest recommendation.

Social Entrepreneur, educationalist, bestselling author and journalist, D K Powell is the author of the bestselling collection of literary short stories “The Old Man on the Beach“. His first book, ‘Sonali’ is a photo-memoir journal of life in Bangladesh and has been highly praised by the Bangladeshi diaspora worldwide. Students learning the Bengali language have also valued the English/Bengali translations on every page. His third book is ‘Try not to Laugh’ and is a guide to memorising, revising and passing exams for students.

Both ‘The Old Man on the Beach’ and ‘Sonali’ are available on Amazon for kindle and paperback. Published by Shopno Sriti Media. The novel,’The Pukur’, was published by Histria Books in 2022.

D K Powell is available to speak at events (see his TEDx talk here) and can be contacted at dkpowell.contact@gmail.com. Alternatively, he is available for one-to-one mentoring and runs a course on the psychology of writing. Listen to his life story in interview with the BBC here.

Ken writes for a number of publications around the world. Past reviewer for Paste magazine, The Doughnut, E2D and United Airways and Lancashire Life magazine. Currently reviews for Northern Arts Review. His reviews have been read more than 7.9 million times.

Get a free trial and 20% off Shortform by clicking here. Shortform is a brilliant tool and comes with my highest recommendation.