Guardian Country Diarist Nic Wilson explores the spirit of autumn through creative writing, taking inspiration from Clare’s nature poems

Workshop Details

Clare’s poem ‘Colours of Autumn ’ begins:

Such mellow tints on trees and bushes lie

So like to sunshine that it brighter glows

As one looks more intently - on the sky

I turn astonished that no sun is there

The ribboned strips of orange, blue and red

Streaks through the western sky a gorgeous bed

Painting days end most beautifully fair

So mild so quiet breaths the balmy air

Scenting the perfume of decaying leaves

Such mellow tints on trees and bushes lie

Like Clare, we’ll be drawing on the sights and scents of the cottage garden and the rural landscape to write about autumn’s sunset colours and rich bounty in poetry and/or prose. We’ll use hand lenses to look “more intently” at natural objects such as leaves and fruit, and consider how this in-depth noticing can benefit our creative writing.

Participants will work on one piece of poetry or prose invoking the spirit of autumn, which can then be developed further after the session. There will be an opportunity to share our writing (which will always be optional) and to get support and feedback from Nic. We’ll discuss wider reading based around autumnal themes and participants will be provided with a list of seasonal writing prompts to take away from the session.

Workshop Tutor

Nic is an author, editor and Guardian country diarist. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, specialising in wildlife, wild plants and environmental issues. Her nature memoir, Land Beneath the Waves, on nature, place and chronic illness, was published in 2025 and listed as one of BBC Wildlife Magazine's Best Nature Books of the year.

Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies including Under the Changing Skies: The Best of The Guardian Country Diaries 2018-2024, Going to Ground: An Anthology of Nature and Place, Moving Mountains and Women on Nature. Nic volunteers for her local Wildlife Trust and loves writing about the nearby wild.

You can find Nic at nicwilson.co.uk and on Bluesky: @nicwilson.bsky.social

Description supplied by the event organiser.