God Is An Octopus

Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature

Ben Goldsmith

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Wildlife
05 September 2023

Biography; Autobiography: general; Memoirs; Conservation of wildlife & habitats; Coping with death & bereavement; Natural & wild gardening

'Intensely readable, poetic, truthful, wise and wonderful.' STEPHEN FRY 'An extraordinary book.' SUNDAY TIMES

Struggling to comprehend the shocking death of his teenage daughter, Ben Goldsmith finds solace in nature by immersing himself in plans to rewild his farm.

In July 2019, Ben Goldsmith lost his fifteen-year-old daughter, Iris, in an accident on their family farm in Somerset. Iris’s death left her family reeling.

Grasping for answers, Ben threw himself into searching for some ongoing trace of his beloved child, exploring ideas that until then had seemed too abstract to mean much to him. Missing his daughter terribly and struggling to imagine how he would face the rest of his life in the shadow of this loss, Ben found solace in nature, the object of a lifelong fascination. As Ben set about rewilding his farm, nature became a vital source of meaning and hope.

This book is the story of a year of soul-searching that followed a terrible loss. In an instant, Ben’s world had turned dark. Yet, unbelievably to him, the seasons kept on turning, and as he immersed himself in the dramatic restoration of nature in the place where it happened, he found healing.

In God is an Octopus, Ben tells a powerful, immersive and inspiring story of finding comfort and strength in nature after suffering loss and despair.

By: Ben Goldsmith
Imprint: Bloomsbury Wildlife
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
ISBN: 9781399408356
ISBN 10: 1399408356
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 05 September 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Ben Goldsmith is a British environmentalist and financier. Ben is a leading light in the rewilding movement in Britain and Europe, as well as a pioneer of green investment. Ben and his wife are rewilding their farm in Somerset, and Ben has helped to establish a number of environmental initiatives, including the Environmental Funders’ Network, the Conservative Environment Network, Rewilding Britain, Beaver Trust, and the Conservation Collective, a global network of locally focused environmental foundations. Ben was a Director at DEFRA for five years, successfully advocating for a series of ground-breaking environmental restoration policies during his tenure, including the new Environmental Land Management scheme, the Nature for Climate Fund and the Species Reintroductions task force. The Iris Project was established by Ben Goldsmith and Kate Rothschild in partnership with the Global Greengrants Fund in loving memory of their daughter, Iris Goldsmith, a young environmentalist who loved the natural world. @bengoldsmith

Reviews for God Is An Octopus: Loss, Love and a Calling to Nature

From the deepest sorrow, the highest hope. Intensely readable, poetic, truthful, wise and wonderful, this will live with me for a very long time. -- Stephen Fry An event of unimaginable trauma is transformed into a message of beauty and optimism through Ben's passion for nature, which acts as his nurse, teacher and redeemer. -- Joanna Lumley Stunningly beautiful, immensely sad, immensely uplifting, this is a book of grief and joy and wonder and renewal. -- George Monbiot Beautiful and deeply moving, this will resonate with and inspire so many people. -- Isabella Tree Ben chronicles the unfathomable tragedy of his daughter's death with the profound love and compassion of a bereft parent. -- Richard E. Grant A compelling journey from the very heart of loss to the sanctuary and hope that only the natural world provides - emotive, raw and captivating. -- Benedict Macdonald, Winner of the Wainwright Prize for Global Conservation