Paperboats

Ian Grosz talks with author Sandy Winterbottom   Sandy reads from her travel memoir  The Two Headed Whale  and talks about the journey of discovery and understanding the writing of the book took her on, drawing parallels between whaling and a self-perpetuating fossil fuel industry. She talks about hope, about action, and the importance of a just transition. The episode closes with a reading from r...

Ian Grosz talks with writer, performer and activist Matt Sowerby about the Nature Chronicles Prize, the lessons we can learn from our relationship with the whale, and what hope might mean in the climate emergency.    Matt reads an extract from his essay ‘Hope is the Thing with Flippers’, which won the Nature Chronicles Prize in 2024. He discusses the story of the whale and whaling, the inspiration...

Ian Grosz talks with artist and writer Christina Riley about her creative practice, the importance of books and the formation of The Nature Library.    Christina reads an extract from her series of prose fragments, ‘The Same Sunlight’, published by Gutter Magazine, Issue 30. She discusses her residency at the Mission Blue Argyll ‘Hope Spot’, and the remarkable biodiversity that can be found along...

Ian Grosz talks with author, playwright and Guardian Country Diary columnist, Merryn Glover, about her upbringing in the foothills of the Himalaya, the Cairngorms National Park where she lives now, and her book  The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd .    Merryn describes her early life in Nepal and India, and how that has shaped her as a writer. She talks about the beginnings of...

Ian Grosz talks with author and poet Leonie Charlton about spiritual ecology, writing the more-than-human, and Scotland’s wild deer dilemma.   Leonie reads an extract from her diary essay ‘Fragments’, which first featured in Issue 1 of the Paperboats Zine and is included in the travel writing anthology  There She Goes , edited by Esa Aldegheri and published by Saraband in March 2025. She discusses...

Ian Grosz talks with Poet Chris Powici, who gives insight into his writing practice, what he sees as the role of the writer, and the importance of affirming the world around us.   Chris talks about the part he played in the formation of the Paperboats collective, his approach to writing poetry and his thoughts on the role of the writer in the climate and ecological crisis. We hear Chris read his p...

Ian Grosz talks with author and poet Karen Lloyd about microplastics and pollution in the UK’s Lake District National Park, about the Rights of Nature and how we might protect it.    Karen outlines her connection to Paperboats Writers, her views on the role of the writer in a climate and ecological crisis, and reads from her essay ‘Inside the Rockpool Shrimp there is a Dying Star’, first published...

Ian talks with Naturalist, Photographer and Nature Writer Polly Pullar about Polly’s life-long relationship with Nature and the plight of the gannet.    Polly talks about the beginnings of her deep connection with Nature and wildlife growing up in Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland, how that brought her solace through a difficult period and continues to inspire her passionately today. She...

Host Ian Grosz talks with author Linda Cracknell about Scotland’s Flow Country, her book  Doubling Back,  and how important walking is to her writing practice.   Linda reads an extract from the new edition of  Doubling Back , published by Saraband in May 2024, highlighting how important the peatbogs of Caithness are in alleviating the impacts of climate change, and how vulnerable they have been to...

Writer and Researcher Ian Grosz talks with Paperboats co-founders Sandy Winterbottom and Elaine Morrison.    We hear Kathleen Jamie’s inspirational poem, ‘What the Clyde said after Cop 26’, holding politicians to account and inspiring the Paperboats movement. Sandy and Elaine discuss the formation of Paperboats and how writers might connect with people on the issues surrounding climate change. The...