Illustrated by her films and artwork, Amanda will talk about her work writing about the Scottish Highlands and how wonderful things can be found in unexpected places. Language and old Scots words reveal fascinating histories and connections to the natural environment that have been lost, and how they might help us to reconnect in fascinating ways. Amanda Thomson is an artist and writer who makes work about our connections to the natural environment and how we belong. Belonging: Natural Histories of Place, Identity and Home was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, 2023. Recently, Boundary Layers, a short film about nature’s reclamation of Ravenscraig, the former site of Europe’s largest steelworks, was part of A Fragile Correspondence, Scotland’s exhibition in the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Belonging is a book about how we are held in thrall to the elements of our past.