This fantastic book by Nick Hayes, an inspired re-imagining of the Coleridge poem in words and pictures, has been a huge hit in our house over the past few weeks. Originally recommended to us by Robert Macfarlane, it was devoured by me in one sitting and then handed over to my (early teenage) sons who took one look at the drawings and dived straight in.
I met up with Nick to talk about the book and ask how he had gone about updating the tale. He explained that his respect and admiration for the works of David Nash and Roger Deakin had played a big part in inspiring the project, so much so that he spent several days in the woods near Nash’s home in Blaenau Ffestiniog drawing the trees for certain scenes, and then he really got me by telling me that Roger Deakin and his old house Walnut Tree Farm make a cameo appearance. It’s such a playful and sweet homage but it’s so, so, correct that you have to give Nick a nod of respect for putting it in.
A full review of the book will run later this week but in the meantime here are some of the pages for you to enjoy.
