Claire Ratinon: Unearthed – on race and roots, and how the soil taught me I belong
Unearthed was one of Gardens Illustrated’s books of the year when it came out in hardback last year. Now in paperback, we welcome Claire to Tetbury to talk about her ‘outstanding work of storytelling and nature writing’.
Her writing has a wonderful empathy with the British countryside, which she describes beautifully. It is a privilege to share her pleasure in growing vegetables, but she also talks about how her own journey into growing food and gardening made her reflect on her identity. How did the colonial history of her homeland, Mauritius (where soil is more associated with colonialism and slavery), lead to her love of – and belonging to – her organic garden in East Sussex?
Claire has gardened in New York, London and points in between. She has supplied vegetables to restaurants such as Ottolenghi’s Rovi, runs practical workshops, has spoken widely (from Tate Liverpool and Charleston to urban primary schools and community centres), and writes for a variety of magazines and newspapers. She will be in conversation with Michael Malay, who lectures at Bristol University on poetry and environmental literature. His book ‘Late Light’ explores the migration of often ignored or uncared for species, and his own life as an Indonesian Australian making a home in England.
