Ben has a high-flying career in advertising; it affords him a trendy flat in Hackney, a flashy motorbike, free cruises to woo clients on. But internally, he’s a wreck – years of OCD have turned him bitter, anxious and resentful, and he begins to wonder what even drew him to this life in the first place. Is this it? Is it success?

Like his neighbour’s pet hawk, he acts on instinct and escapes the city. Where he’ll settle is at a furnace; a glowing charcoal kiln in the West Dorset woods, where he can reforge his thoughts, break down the years of suffering behind him, and start afresh.

“A most excellent read. Destined to become a classic in its field, much like Walter Rose’s memoir, The Village Carpenter.” -Sean Hellman, author and craftsman.

“An extraordinary and powerful book, full of vitality. Every page celebrates the way traditional skills can shape who we are.” -Tristan Gooley, natural navigator and New York Times-bestselling author of How to Read Water.

“Lyrical, moving and never self-pitying. It’s a lovely book.” -Harry Wallop, The Times.

“Beautifully written, Burn is melancholy and hopeful in equal measure. Like taking a forest ramble in changeable weather, reading it leaves you feeling ruffled but alive.” -Simeon House, The Mail on Sunday.

“An intriguing, touching and beautifully written book, about how it feels to be in a dark place spiritually, to move into the woods but enter an increasingly lighter place, to be practising the ancient skills of coppicing and charcoal burning, to love a dog. By the end of this book Ben Short has a partner and young son, so it reads like the beginning of a longer story.” -Ruth Pavey, journalist and author of A Wood of One’s Own.