James Canton’s writing has been mainly concerned with the ties between nature, literature and the environment. He finds himself frequently entranced with exploring the distant past. For his book Ancient Wonderings, he travelled across Britain in order to understand something of prehistoric ways of life in these islands. From South Uist in the Western Isles of Scotland to the Brecklands of East Anglia, he walked the lands in order to dig deep into what we know of the ancient past.

His latest book The Oak Papers involved staying closer to home. To spend time beside one aged oak tree, through the seasons and in all weathers, was a delight. To be in the local and to simply observe allows us to get to know aspects of nature or place intimately.