I'm Writing a Book!

Celebrating the Summer Solstice with 'Slow Seasons' - out in October and available to preorder now

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone! I have been hinting for a while that I’ve been working on a big writing project and today I’m delighted to announce that my debut book, Slow Seasons: A Creative Guide to Reconnecting with Nature the Celtic Way, will be published by Bloomsbury on October 12th 2023.

It is available to preorder from these places here!

I’m so excited to announce this on Litha, the longest day and shortest night here in the Northern Hemisphere. Slow Seasons is filled with seasonal crafts, recipes, nature notes and celebrations inspired by my Scottish heritage. It is divided into eight chapters following the Celtic Wheel of the Year, which is arranged around the Solstices and Equinoxes and their rough midpoints. The book follows the progress of the year through each mini season, from Imbolc at the start of the year to Yule at the end and Slow Seasons has been beautifully illustrated by Holly Ovenden throughout.

Each chapter has nature notes for what to look out for as the days get warmer or cooler and the nights longer and shorter alongside corresponding ideas for activities, things to make, flowers and fruits to forage, seasonal recipes to enjoy and modern takes on traditional celebrations. It is absolutely packed with projects from start to finish: my go-to marmalade recipes, candle-making, homemade scalloped bunting, picnic recipes, flower crowns, seaweed pressing, Autumn foraging, wreath-making, pumpkin feasts, pine sugar shortbread, sustainable gifting… The list goes on and on!

Rose and strawberry Victoria sponge - recipe in my book.

It’s a book that is highly personal too. Having struggled with my mental health throughout my twenties and feeling overwhelmed by the pace of modern city life, nature and the traditions I had been raised with brought me such solace and I hope they can help others too. Celebrating nature and observing the small steady shifts in the seasons have been key parts of my recovery; by slowing down and paying attention to the ebbs and flows of nature, we can find moments of calm whenever we need them.

I have absolutely poured my heart and soul into Slow Seasons. It’s an idea I’ve been working on for a long time, having written about the seasons, baking and making in some form or other since 2010 online on my own platforms and through collaborating on writing, styling or photography with some of my favourite brands; whether styling clothes and homewares with Toast, baking for Laura Ashley, crafting with John Lewis or tablescaping with Denby. It was during the Summer holidays after lockdown that I had the brain space to start working on my proposal and after many ups and downs and a lot of rejection, I came to work with my brilliant agent Megan Staunton at Bergstrom Studio last year. My book evolved some more thanks to Megan’s expertise and insights and the proposal went out to publishers widely last Spring - I couldn’t believe it when there turned out to be several interested parties and the book went to a three-way publisher auction (!) last April.

Right from the start, my editor at Bloomsbury, Kitty Stogdon, understood my vision and championed my writing. I’ve been so lucky to work with a lot of amazing people on this project, including aforementioned illustrator Holly Ovenden, designer Lucy Sykes-Thompson and my editor, Kitty Stogdon, and all the team at Bloomsbury. I’ll tell you more about the exciting process in future posts!

It’s a bit scary to put your book out there into the real world after working away on it for so long, privately, with a small team of those in the know. I don’t think it will really hit properly until I hold it in my hands this August, or see it in shops this October. This is such a supportive community and some of you here and on Instagram have been asking me to write a book for years! So I really hope that you are as excited as I am and consider pre-ordering a copy - this makes such a difference to authors, especially debut ones like me.

Scalloped bunting craft project from my book.

Here are some lovely things that some brilliant authors I look up to have been saying about Slow Seasons having previewed the book:

'Slow Seasons is a charming, thoughtful book that brings to life the importance of seasonal reflection. Rosie combines personal insight, craft and ceremony in a direct, approachable way that encourages us all to reconnect with nature across the year' ― Mo Wilde, author of ‘The Wilderness Cure’

'This is a reflective, inspiring guide to a life lived in harmony with the seasons. It is brimming with fascinating insights into the Celtic Wheel of the Year, as well as tempting recipes and practical projects. Slow Seasons is the perfect read for anyone who wants to connect with the natural world and live more intentionally. It is a beautiful, heartfelt, comforting book' ― Laura Pashby, author of ‘Little Stories of Your Life’

Hitting send on the final part of the first draft of my manuscript, working in the spare room at my father-in-law’s!

'A brilliant guide to embracing the wonder of nature, slowing down and celebrating simple everyday joys' ― Willow Crossley, florist, author and designer

'A heart-filling book to keep close throughout the year. I love Rosie's pilgrimage through the Celtic wheel of festivals, showing us how to embrace seasonal joys and ancient rituals in our everyday. She shares her secrets for a slower life and encourages us to celebrate and marvel at the little things that shine light, even in the darkest times. A constant companion of wonderful stories, crafts and recipes' ― Lucy Brazier, author of ‘Christmas at River Cottage’

'A truly beautiful book. Rosie's writing makes me want to close my laptop, step outside, and appreciate the magic that each season brings' ― Jessica Elliott Dennison, author of Lazy Baking’

Pre-order Slow Seasons here! You can also help me spread the word by sharing this post. Thank you for your support, it means the world to this debut author xxx