Reading by a river © Pexels
Tales from the Riverbank Literature Festival
Hampshire’s chalk streams are some of its most precious wild places - home to iconic species like the otter, water vole, brown trout, and kingfisher. With their serene beauty and vibrant wildlife, it’s no surprise that they have inspired authors like Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Richard Adams (Watership Down), and Charles Kingsley (The Water Babies).
In June 2024, the Watercress and Winterbournes Landscape Partnership Scheme teamed up with Hampshire Library Service to continue this centuries-long literary tradition. The Tales from the Riverbank Literature Festival comprised talks by prominent nature writers and writing workshops for children and adults, which included guided walks of local chalk streams.
The festival may be concluded, but you can still enjoy our 'Reading Rivers' series, where we review river-themed nature writing, or get creative by downloading our free Poetry Activity Guide below. You can also dive into the wider world of chalk streams with the Watercress and Winterbournes scheme - discover talks, walks, volunteer opportunities, and more.
“I wanted to send you a big thank you for the lovely poetry workshop. My daughter really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it - she was enthusing about it for ages and has already written more poetry!”
"The way Lisa brought everything to life - in her telling of the stories, their background, and the answers she gave during the Q&A - was perfect! She's an amazing storyteller, and live storytelling is something I haven't experienced since I was a kid. Thoroughly enjoyed the evening."
Lisa Schneidau performing at the Tales from the Riverbank Literature Festival © Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Our guest speakers
We were honoured to welcome four brilliant guest speakers for the festival - our heartfelt thanks to them for sharing their wisdom with us.
Tom Moorhouse - an author, research ecologist, and conservation scientist. Tom spoke about his research into Britain's endangered water voles, the future of our freshwater wildlife, and staying positive against steep odds.
Matt Gaw - an author, journalist, and creative writing teacher. Matt spoke about exploring England's rivers through wild swimming and canoeing, including amazing wildlife sightings and powerful moments of self-discovery.
Lisa Schneidau - an author, environmentalist, and performance storyteller. Lisa performed her favourite river folk tales, bringing alive stories of myth, magic, and monsters, and explored the role of storytelling in nature conservation.
Amy-Jane Beer - an author, naturalist, and environmental campaigner. Amy spoke about the joy, healing, and transformation that we can find by connecting with rivers, and the importance of access in enabling us to do so.
Children's Poetry Workshop at the Tales from the Riverbank Literature Festival © Timi van Houten
Our workshop leaders
Our writing workshops were led by two amazing local authors - our warmest thanks to both for the energy and enthusiasm they brought to the festival.
Amanda Kane-Smith - author and storyteller with a passion for the wonders of the natural world. Amanda's work includes the Test Valley Tales project, which resulted in a book and podcast that celebrate local folk tales.
Dawn Nelson - author and storyteller with a passion for landscape, heritage, and nature connection. Dawn's work includes the books Adventures in Nature and Stories of the Sun, as well as folk tale podcast.
Woman writing in nature © Matthew Roberts
Our poetry activity guide
Want to try your hand at nature writing? Poetry is a great place to start! Download our free activity guide to get inspired by the world of chalk streams - simply print at home. It's ideal for families, schools, and youth groups.
