The Land Lines Blog began in 2017 as part of the Land Lines: British Nature Writing research project funded by the AHRC, which ran from 2017–2019. Since then, due to its popularity, the blog has continued independently. The 2017 collaborative campaign between Land Lines, AHRC, BBC and Wildlife Trust to find the UK’s favourite nature book garnered national coverage in the media, and really got the UK thinking about how we as a nation talk, read, and write about nature – throughout history and in the present moment. Since then, the blog has published some fantastic pieces of nature writing, environmental history, poetry, creative writing and commentary. We have shared posts by nature writers such as Jini Reddy, Philip Hoare, Anita Roy, Richard Kerridge, Miriam Darlington, Katharine Norbury, and many more. Alongside these, we are proud to share pieces kindly submitted by our interested readers: including academics, scientists, naturalists, photographers, and others who enjoy reading and writing about the natural world, and their connections with it.
If you would like to submit or propose a piece for the Land Lines blog, please read through the following information, which includes some broad criteria, before contacting the blog editor.
Before Submitting
- Please take a look at our most recent blog content, and check that your blog post/proposed post will offer something new.
- We ask that submissions to the blog broadly engage with nature, nature writing, the environment, or wildlife – this can take many forms (poetry, interviews, commentary, creative nonfiction).
- Please note that the blog itself is not currently funded, and it does not make any money. At the moment, the central goal of the blog is to be an accessible platform on which we can share thought-provoking nature writing. Consequently, we’re not able to recompense writers for blog material.* We understand if this rules out the blog as a platform for your work.
- We’re happy to share work that has been published elsewhere, if it comes with the relevant permissions, but this will be down to the blog editor’s discretion.
- We may decide not to publish a piece if it duplicates existing content, if it does not align with the goals of the blog and wider Land Lines projects, or for any other reason.
- If possible, please include photos or images with your post (ideally your own, but if this isn’t possible, please include credits and relevant permissions from the copyright owner).
- Please also include in your email, if applicable:
- Your Twitter handle
- A link to your website
- Any other online media you would like to be linked in your post
- A short third person bio of 100 words max.
- We might also ask you to produce a ‘Note from the Author’ to explain the origins of your piece.
* Some work published elsewhere on the website is commissioned as part of our current follow-on projects, Tracks, Traces and Trails, and Tipping Points.
The editor of the Land Lines Blog is Dr Lucy Rowland, University of Leeds. The editing and content team includes Dr Pippa Marland, University of Bristol and the Artistic Director of Land Lines, Suzie Cross.
Land Lines Project 