A captivating, life-affirming memoir of a life in nature that celebrates finding wonder in our world.

'A wonderful book... It has taught me a lot. I feel great love for it' MAX PORTER

At the age of sixteen, Marc Hamer left home with only a rucksack and started walking. By day, he observed the animals and birds. By night, he slept under hedges, in woodlands and on riverbanks. It was the beginning of a life in nature.

Years later, now working as a gardener and mole-catcher in the Welsh countryside, Marc tells of the experiences that have shaped him and of the wonders that he encounters each day. He considers, too, the fascinating ways of the mole and the myths that surround this curious creature.

This beautiful, meditative book explores what nature can teach us about ourselves and our search for contentment. It is a celebration of living peacefully and finding joy in the world around us.

'It is rare to encounter such respect and understanding of nature' Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows

** Longlisted for The Wainwright Prize 2019 **

(Published in hardback as How to Catch a Mole)

A life-affirming book about the British countryside, the cycle of nature, solitude, mortality and contentment, through the prism of a brilliant new nature writer's experience working as a traditional mole-catcher.

About the Author
Marc Hamer was born in the North of England and moved to Wales over thirty years ago. After spending a period homeless, then working on the railway, he returned to education and studied fine art in Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent. He has worked in art galleries, marketing, graphic design and taught creative writing in a prison before becoming a gardener. Both his books, A Life in Nature; or How to Catch a Mole and Seed to Dust have been longlisted for the Wainwright Prize.

Reviews
In lyrical prose, Hamer revealed a curious kinship with moles - creatures who, like him, often work alone. Like Laurie Lee, Hamer is an elegist, attracted to what's beautiful precisely because it's poised to pass away. * Washington Post *
From the first few words I knew I had encountered loving honesty and no one needs more than that. It is rare to encounter such respect and understanding of nature for herself. -- Rosamund Young, author of The Secret Life of Cows
How To Catch A Mole is a beguiling mixture: part autobiography, part handbook, part travel book, part philosophical treatise. I'm happy to report that it succeeds on each level -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
Not only a compelling meditation on the 'little gentleman in black velvet'...but also a fascinating, lyrical account of the loneliness and beauty of life on the margins, a memoir of vagrancy * Times Literary Supplement *
This is a wonderful book about our relationship with the earth, with other animals and with our own troubled humanity. It has taught me a lot. I feel great love for it. -- Max Porter



Book Information
ISBN 9781784709938
Author Marc Hamer
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 207g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 16mm