Run Wild
Gill Lewis
Barrington Stoke
Review by Nina and Daddy
Nina and I read this fabulous story from Gill Lewis over 4 nights. On finishing the book, I was met with a barrage of questions: What’s a cormorant?; Are there still wolves in the UK?; Where did you play when you were younger?; How many types of beetle are there?
In response, we checked out some YouTube videos, visited a local heronry, and I reminisced about the patch of common land outside my parents’ house where I would climb trees, build dens and concoct stories.
We also bought the book The Ways of the Wolf by Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Jonathan Woodward (published by Wren & Rook, an imprint of Hachette) which is a brilliant and beautiful complimentary non-fiction title endorsed by the UK Wolf Conservation Trust.
If Gill Lewis’ aim is to encourage future generations to engage with themes of conservation; to connect with (and be inquisitive about) nature; to think about the wild spaces in their communities, then Nina is proof that she has succeeded.
The story of Run Wild centres on the pairing of brave and adventurous school friends Izzy and Asha. Banished from the local skate park by the Skull Brothers, they are forced to find their own place to play and practice their tricks. This new place is a rundown and off-limits gasworks. It is in this brownfield space that the young girls learn to take risks, to explore, discover new things and connect with the wild. It is in this space that they meet an injured wolf.
The characters then face a dilemma – do they try to help the wolf themselves or do they seek help for the wolf and reveal their secret and special hideout? This quandary brings them closer to the Skull Brothers and they work the problem out together. There is an especially compelling chapter where the children face-up to their headteacher and as Izzy is pleading with Mrs Stone you can hear every child in the land urging adults everywhere to “remember what it feels like to be running wild”. The book is a passionate argument not just for the rewilding of nature but for connecting children to the wild too. See this manifesto from The Wild Network, set up to remove the barriers to #wildtime:
Whilst the rewilding of children is a part of the story, the rewilding of nature is at it’s core. According to the charity Rewilding Britain, it is all about “bringing nature back to life and restoring living systems”. The charity signs up to several principles acknowledging that “people, communities and livelihoods are key”. Rewilding is a choice of land management – it relies on people deciding to explore an alternative future for the land and people. Thus the brownfield site of the old gasworks is at the centre of a bitter battle.
Barrington Stoke promise a series of special school events on the publication of Run Wild and finished copies will be in Barrington Stoke’s super readable typeset on off-white pages. This is a brilliant partnership that has got us really excited.
Run Wild is engaging, compelling and brilliantly written; as a storyteller, Gill Lewis should be cherished and revered. The message of ‘Run Wild’ is important, nay, essential and should be filed next to The Lost Words (Jackie Morris and Rob Macfarlane) and The Promise (Nicola Davies) as enchanting books with significant and important themes.
Thanks to Barrington Stoke for sending us a copy of Run Wild. It is published on July 15. You can buy it from Hive or better still, from your local bookshop.
You can follow Gill Lewis on Twitter, or visit her website. The book is endorsed by the charity, Rewilding Britain (who have a website and a twitter account). You should also check out The Wild Network.