Think ‘feathers’ not ‘sequins’, ‘birdsong’ not ‘pop’, and join us for our fabulous array of events at Hylands House in Chelmsford as part of our Restless Brilliance Day: our homage to Chelmsford-born writer J.A. Baker of The Peregrine fame, widely considered to be a literary masterpiece.

Peregrines aside, where do the swifts come in? The festival is thrilled to be welcoming nature writer Mark Cocker, also widely considered to be something of a literary genius, to Chelmsford to talk about his latest book, One Midsummers Day: Swifts and the Story of the Earth.

As for ‘birdsong’ rather than ‘pop’, Andrew Millham, the wonderful nature and folk history writer, whose work has featured in a wide range of national publications including BBC Wildlife, Coast, and The Countryman, will be discussing his book Singing Like Larks, and beyond that the legacy of J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine and what it means to Essex.

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They will be discussing Andrew’s book, Singing Like Larks, a joyous celebration of song, the seasons, and our love of birds as well as exploring the legacy of J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine and what it means to Essex.

A companion event to the ongoing exhibition Restless Brilliance at Chelmsford Museum – catch it if you can – that focusses on the life and work of life-long Chelmsford writer and resident J.A. Baker of The Peregrine fame, other participants include Mark Cocker who will be talking about his new book One Midsummer’s Day, and Costa-Award shortlisted novelist Joanna Glen who will be talking her new book Maybe, Perhaps, Possibly.

Restless Brilliance: Singing Like Larks with Andrew Millham and David Simmonds, Sunday 16th June, 1.30pm, Hylands House, Chelmsford.

Click here for more information and to book tickets.

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Co-curated by Chelmsford Museum and the University of Essex, Restless Brilliance: The Story of J.A. Baker and The Peregrine will be the first exhibition to explore the life and works of the influential yet relatively unknown nature writer. It will share his story through more than 60 objects, mostly loaned from the university’s extensive J.A. Baker archive.

Restless Brilliance will highlight Baker’s prominence in Chelmsford’s history. Born in Chelmsford in 1926, John Alec Baker lived in the district for most of his life. He was an enthusiastic bird watcher and environmental campaigner. The author is best known for his first and most successful work, The Peregrine, widely considered to be a literary masterpiece.

Baker was passionate about the Essex countryside. Over many years he recorded his observations of the landscape during frequent walks and cycles around the Blackwater estuary, Danbury Hill, and Chelmsford.

Published in 1967, The Peregrine summarises ten years of his obsessive observations of the bird, especially around Chelmer Valley and the Essex coast. The uniquely poetic book won the prestigious Duff Cooper Memorial Prize for the “evocative power and sheer beauty” of Baker’s writing.

The Peregrine quickly became a cult classic in British nature writing, and over the years it has attracted a remarkable list of famous advocates and admirers. Nature writer Robert MacFarlane described it as “a masterpiece of twentieth-century non-fiction”, while filmmaker Werner Herzog includes it as one of three texts that his film students must read. Broadcaster and national treasure, David Attenborough, is also a fan, having narrated the audiobook in 2019.

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