Once Upon a Raven's Nest: a life on Exmoor in an epoch of change

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From the wonderfully evocative title to the heart-rending yet spirit-lifting conclusion, Catriona examines, with great empathic power, how colossal forces work on the individual. In one man, we are shown vast epochal change; in him, we see the concerns and defiance and activities that were once considered as solely the province of gods. A brilliant and necessary book.’ – Niall Griffiths

Catrina chose to write the story of his life, taking his voice, creating his 'autobiography', naming him Thomas. She has woven together what she knows of Hector's story with that of her imagined character, presenting a deep love of nature, landscape, rural life and machinery. This book is the result and it's quite extraordinary. This is a rich, beautiful and deeply moving book. I read it in one sitting, then was sorry that I had not drawn it out for longer, as I enjoyed it so much’ – George MonbiotOnce Upon A Raven's Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land. Once Upon A Raven’s Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land.

The narrative is interwoven with a sequence of factual entries that chart the impending climate catastrophe and the consequences of our collective choices to ignore the warning of an environment on the verge of collapse.We learn of his accumulation of engines, tools and guns, the complexity of his connection to nature, the animals he loved and his desire to hunt them. He recounts the terrible consequences of his fatal attraction to risk and machinery which led to his being paralysed for the last years of his life, confined to a wheelchair, hopelessly dependent but still watching, noticing, recording, loving the world. You’ve been privileged to ‘see’ Exmoor National Park through Thomas’ eyes, how has this perspective altered your personal view of Exmoor? At the beginning of each chapter you have also included factual entries about climate change. How did you come up with idea, and why do you think it works so well? An articulate and beautifully written account from the heart of the housing disaster, told at the last point we can choose to change.' This book is star witness for a generation whose lives have been so injured by the housing crisis. It is funny and furious, tender and true.'

There is a raw energy here which is very appealing. Exmoor very rough and very ready. Pulses with life at every turn. Expertly told, the fragmentary collision of lives and a planet, deer, salmon, trees, tractors and a chainsaw or two. Exmoor verbatim as you never seen it before. Outdoors means out doors…’ – James CrowdenThis is a beautiful, powerful and truly original book which is nature writing at it’s truest and finest.’ – Clover Stroud In Davies’s miraculous retelling of Thomas Hedley’s life it is as if a world has been remembered rather than written. Once Upon A Raven’s Nest is an unforgettable history of a life that is almost lost and an account of the destruction man has wrought on the earth in the time that Hedley worked the land. Catrina Davies came to know Hector Ralph Collard in the last years of his life. Born in 1955 to a rural, working class family in Somerset, he was someone we'd understand as a true countryman, spending his life on the land, hunting, working and appreciating the natural world. He lived life to the full and was a risk taker, ultimately paralysed by the last in a series of accidents. Dependent on the tender care of friends and family, he was frustrated by his immobility but was still watching, noticing and recording his local environment. An incredibly moving book. To find peace and a sense of home between the sea and the stars after a life so profoundly affected by the housing crisis, is truly inspirational.'

Once Upon a Raven’s Nest is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency. In addition to being an author, you are also a musician. Tell us how living in the West Country inspires you.

Once Upon a Raven’s Nest is an account of an epoch of change; of the earth and of a human life. It is the story of a working class man, one Thomas Hedley of Exmoor, and of the planet during the period of its great acceleration towards the current climate emergency. At the beginning of each chapter you have also included factual entries about climate change. This is a very unique concept and one that adds additional depth to the book. How did you come up with idea, and why do you think it works so well?