Curlew Calling Anthology edited by Karen Lloyd
This beautifully written and illustrated book was the brainchild of Karen Lloyd. Karen is a multi -talented artist, who became involved with the Curlew Country project when she was commissioned as part of a team working on a series of arts activities to celebrate curlew in 2015.
Karen had recently written a book about Morecombe Bay and was already intrigued by the winter behaviour of waders. Her foray into understanding their nesting behaviour outside moorland and upland areas through her work with the project, revealed much more information and inspired her to take efforts to help curlew in her home county of Cumbria and the surrounding area. Her determination to do more to help curlew did not stop there. She has been instrumental in setting up a ‘northern England’ curlew gathering to highlight the plight of Britain’s largest breeding wader, and in June this year instigated the idea for a fabulous Curlew Festival, kindly hosted by Tom Orde Powlett at the Bolton Castle estate.
At local presentations of work created or influenced by Karen, strong emotions were felt and expressed considering both the beauty and plight of curlew.
This thought provoking new anthology collated and edited by Karen is sure to do the same. Celebration and lamentation both feature with the added bonus that purchase of the book is to go to a special fund to help the plight of curlew outside upland and moorland areas.
Stiperstones and Corndon LPS trainee Amber Bicheno who has been working a great deal with the project has reviewed the book more fully. I have read and re-read it many times and hope that you will enjoy it in comfort knowing that in this case curlew inspired thought and support for their cause go hand in hand.
Amanda Perkins, Project Manager
Curlew Calling book review by Amber Bicheno
An Anthology of poetry, nature writing and images in celebration of curlew
Travel the length and breadth of the British Isles following our beloved wader, through wintering mud flats, estuarine havens and their threatened breeding grounds.
This wonderful collection of curlew poems, short stories and encounters covers a wide range of backgrounds and insights, united by their appreciation of this enigmatic bird and I’m sure could spark an emotive response from even the most hardened reader.
These descriptive passages allow the reader to be taken on a journey, following that most distinctive call over distant hills, through lochs and vales. If ever there was a species that could capture the imagination it was this, their cry and flight have inspired generations.
Having worked with Curlew Country I have felt a connection to the local birds here, and to their precarious future that we are trying so hard to turn around. Reading these careful and thoughtful passages makes it clear that the curlew reaches the hearts of many, in a shared show of appreciation that is seldom seen.
In one of my favourite passages in the book, in his riveting account of curlew watching on Orkney, Jim Crumley seeks to answer the somewhat unusual question, ‘what would happen if curlew, hare and buzzard collided?’ But even this entertaining episode acknowledges the precarious state of affairs for our beloved curlew, urging that we must all do what we can to prevent their disappearance from this land.
To enjoy this superb collection of curlew inspired words and images and self-proclaimed ‘Call to Arms’ visit Karen’s website here
Buy the book here. Proceeds of the books sales go towards action for curlew conservation.