A collection of books inspired by nature is now touring Glasgow and beyond, celebrating “the power of words to connect people with land, sky and sea.”
The Nature Library is the brainchild of artist Christina Riley, whose work is primarily influenced by the natural world. Riley believes “the more we understand nature, the more we care for it, and vice versa.”
“As human beings we often see ourselves as separate from the natural world. But, just like the tides and the hills, we are part of nature and there has never been a more important time to reconnect,” she explains
Previously hosted by Glasgow’s Civic House, the pop-library will be at Project Café on Renfrew Street until November 30.
Books by authors including Nan Shepherd, Ali Smith and Amy Liptrot are currently tucked into the window of the Project Café, a community space serving up delicious vegetarian food.
In a city like Glasgow, it is easy to feel cut off from nature, but the library allows you to feel connected to the natural world right in the heart of the bustling city. It’s a small collection, but beautifully curated, with something for everyone to find an escape.
Riley told the John Muir Trust that when she first had the idea to create the Nature Library, she knew “[i]t’d be very small (because I had no idea how to start a library) and it’d travel around (because the idea of keeping books about the world in one room felt counterintuitive).
“The Nature Library is just one tiny corner of earth, hopefully one of solace, hope and inspiration; somewhere for people enjoy looking closely at nature.
“I hope for it to grow, organically—wild, even—shaping itself to the needs of each reader and unavoidably changing as the climate does, creating more wild words that need to be heard.”
You can keep up to date with the project on Twitter and Instagram @thenaturelib. The library is currently accepting donations of nature-inspired books.
Image: Aberdeenshire forest, pexels.com/@freeimages9
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