Before We Leave explores what it means to know a place deeply and what happens when we prepare to leave it. Through careful observation and honest reflection, this publication will document both a specific journey - from Cumbria to Cornwall - and thoughtful explorations of home, belonging, and the universal experience of change.
Whether you’re facing your own transition, deeply attached to a particular place, or drawn to thoughtful explorations of home and belonging, Before We Leave offers a space for understanding how places shape us and how we leave our mark upon them. Here, we acknowledge both the excitement and romance of new beginnings and the profound act of saying goodbye to a beloved place.
As a free subscriber you’ll receive
Occasional long-form essays and audio exploring the connections between people, place and nature over the passage of time.
Reflections on the process of researching and making a community archive.
Join as a Paid Subscriber (£50/year)
Paid subscribers receive all free content and:
Chapters from Before We Leave: A Memoir of Two Gardeners Moving Home
Occasional ambient soundscapes (3-5 mins.) composed and produced by Bee Lilyjones and friends.
Opportunities to contribute as guest editors.
One-to-one support for work that helps preserve local knowledge.
One-to-one support for people interested in regenerative gardening and ecological horticulture.
Please message me if paying for a subscription isn't an option for you - I'd be really happy to gift you a year's subscription. I want these stories and sounds to reach everyone who might find comfort or inspiration in them.
About
A naturalist whose writing about people, place and nature emerges from professional practice as an arts curator, community archivist and ecological horticulturist.
