Tiffany Francis-Baker looks back on her six months as a Forestry Commission writer in residence – and urges us to take care of our woodlands
For centuries, forests have been the backdrop for fairytales, folklore and fantasy. From Robin Hood to Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks to The Gruffalo, writers have been drawn to the darkness and light they find in woodland, sowing the seeds of their imagination in the fertile soil that lies beneath a canopy of rustling leaves.
Tiffany Francis-Baker is one such writer. On 30 September, she will complete the first writer’s residency offered by the Forestry Commission in celebration of its centenary year. For the past six months, she has been visiting forests all over England, looking for inspiration for a long-form narrative poem she is writing.
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