Join us for a conversation with Suffolk conservationist and hedge-layer Richard Negus at Southwold Arts Centre as part of Southwold Literary Festival! Richard will be talking to us about his career so far and his latest book, Words From the Hedge.

Tickets are £7.55 each (including booking fee). Available to book from Southwold Library, from Southwold Arts Centre, or online on TicketSource.

Richard Negus is a former soldier and horseman. He is now a professional hedgelayer, conservationist, and author. His writing champions the people, work, wildlife and beauty of the countryside, and can be found in publications including The Critic, Scribehound, The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Express and Country Life. Richard is recognised as one of the country’s leading exponents and practitioners in rotational hedgerow management and rejuvenation. Fellow Countryside Writer, John Lewis-Stempel, describes him as “The hedgerow’s one true champion”.

Wielding his pen as deftly as he does a billhook, professional hedgelayer Richard Negus takes us on a journey that reveals these ribbons of thorn and barb are so much more than mere decoration or boundary markers. They are essential for much-needed wildlife recovery. And yet, no hedge is truly ‘wild’; each one is a testament to generations of human skill and labour, requiring ongoing maintenance to survive and thrive. Written with vigour and humour, as well as rare insight and honesty, Words From the Hedge is a timely exploration of how we can use hedges to make the British countryside a place where nature has a home.

This event takes place at Southwold Arts Centre, St Edmund’s Hall, IP18 6JP.

Southwold Literary Festival has been organised in collaboration with Southwold Arts Centre, Friends of Southwold Library, and Suffolk Community Libraries.