Some of the country’s most popular nature writers will be appearing at a series of talks in Shaftesbury, covering topics as diverse as the miracle of flight and a search for wilderness

Two Shaftesbury businesses are working together to bring free author events to the town this spring and summer. FOLDE Dorset, the nature-themed bookshop and gallery on Gold Hill, is collaborating with The Grosvenor Arms on a series of talks from some of today’s top nature writers.

The authors appearing at The Grosvenor include the Guardian’s natural history writer Patrick Barkham, who will be giving an illustrated talk on the life of Roger Deakin based on his new biography, The Swimmer; NYC-based artist and activist Katie Holten, who has created a Tree Alphabet to translate a compendium of well known, loved, lost and new writing called The Language of Trees; Wainwright-longlisted Marc Hamer, discussing how gardens can help us heal; local author Jon Woolcott exploring some lesser known aspects of Dorset drawn from his new book, Real Dorset; Lev Parikian, fast becoming one of the country’s best loved nature writers, who will be delving into the miracle of flight; James Roberts on his search for the wildness left in our world, spanning continents and geological eras, skies and oceans, animals and birds, planets and stars; and conservationist Nick Acheson discussing his love for Norfolk’s wild geese with naturalist and former Shaftesbury resident Brigit Strawbridge Howard.

“Working with The Grosvenor Arms has been a real game-changer for us,” explains FOLDE’s co-owner Karen Brazier, “We love our spot on Gold Hill but our shop is too small for anything other than the occasional author signing.”

Co-owner Amber Harrison continues, “The Grosvenor allows us to use the Assembly Room free of charge, which means we can pass on that generosity to our customers by offering free tickets. ”

Elly Alexander, General Manager at The Grosvenor Arms, said, “We’re delighted to have such a close working relationship with FOLDE. We pride ourselves on the warmth of our hospitality in both our bar and our restaurant, and the talks have been a great way of welcoming new customers through our doors.”

The talks programme has been booking up quickly but there are still a few spaces left for all but Jon Woolcott, who is appearing on two different occasions owing to public demand. For details of the full programme, go to www.foldedorset.com/events, or pick up a flyer from FOLDE or The Grosvenor Arms.