Ben Short, author of the “fascinating” (The Times) literary memoir Burn: A Story of Fire, Woods and Healing, will be appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival on Thursday 13th October for an event on living and working in the woods, alongside author Siri Helle.

The event, which will take place in the Pillar Room, Town Hall, is entitled ‘The Way of the Woods’:

“Ben Short (Burn) traded a fast-paced life in London for that of a charcoal burner in West Dorset. There he immersed himself in the ancient ways of woods and fire, living in huts and old wagons, hauling water from wells and foraging for supper. Upon her father’s death, Siri Helle (Handmade) inherited the family’s isolated cabin in west Norway and embraced the challenge of learning new crafts. They reflect on choosing a life of manual work, the power and purpose of practical skills and the solace that can be found in the woods. Chaired by John Tucker, Ambassador to the Woodland Trust.”

Find out more, including how to buy your ticket, here.

Exquisitely written and laced with folklore and the history of burning, the right way to lay a hedge and the age-old wisdom of the woods, Burn is a hopeful story of transformation, a celebration of manual work and craft, and a love letter to the English landscape.

Burn is out now. Grab your copy here or, better, via your local bookshop or Bookshop.org.