Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has announced the return of its acclaimed annual programme, Writing the Earth, in celebration of Earth Day 2026.
The day-long event promises a deep dive into the intersection of environmental crisis and creative expression, bridging the gap between academic research and public storytelling.
Organised by Dr Kevan Manwaring, Programme Leader for MA Creative Writing (Online) and Senior Lecturer for BA (Hons) Creative Writing, the 2026 edition features a dual-format schedule with a daytime research symposium held online followed by an evening in-person book launch on campus.
The morning session starts with a series of stimulating talks from established authors and emerging researchers including keynote speaker Dr Tom Sykes who'll present White-knuckled Wanderlust, a raw exploration of travel writing through the lens of mental health and anxiety.
The focus then shifts as Kevan will discuss his recent Routledge publication, The Ecological Imaginary in Literature and Other Media. He poses a vital question for the modern age – can the blue-sky thinking of fantasy provide the tools necessary to navigate the UN-defined defining crisis of our time?
The symposium concludes with a special preview of Dr Helen Moore’s forthcoming ecopoetry collection, The Last Lighthouse in Rising Seas, which addresses the "petronarcosis" of our fossil fuel addiction.
The in-person evening event will be held at the North West Gallery on AUB Campus, to officially launch Tendrils – an anthology on nature, growth, and identity.
Published by Goldendark, the collection consists of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction co-created by the international collective of AUB’s MA Creative Writing (Online) cohort.
“It offers a tantalising cross-section of emerging global voices – a collective of ‘rhizomatic’ writers whose narratives stretch from Irish fishing families threatened by eco-toxicity to the lived experiences of foreign nurses in the NHS,” says Kevan.
“In celebration of Earth Day, the annual Writing the Earth programme once again explores environmental issues through creativity. This symposium and showcase represent the power of the written word to address the defining challenges of our time, fostering a connection between our personal identities and the ecosystems that sustain us.”
The anthology has already garnered praise from industry experts. Isabelle Kenyon of Fly on the Wall Press describes the work as "bold, questioning, and imaginatively ambitious," noting its ability to explore "rupture and repair with clarity and courage."
The collection features a diverse range of voices, including Maura Coyne, writing on Irish folklore and eco-toxicity; Jamie Turnbull, a UK Special Forces veteran who explores mental health and resilience; Em Barron, whose focus is on LGBTQIA+ identity and nature; and Sharon King, whose work views the world through the lens of an undiagnosed autistic childhood.
Writing the Earth is open to the public, though registration via Eventbrite is required for both the online symposium and the evening showcase.
