IN BRIEF
WIRRAL MOUNTAINEER
AND AUTHOR JOHN D.
BURNS SIGNS BOOK DEAL VACANT BUILDING IN
HAMILTON SQUARE TO
BECOME HUB FOR ARTS,
CULTURE & CREATIVITY
Bestselling mountain writer John D. Burns has signed
a three-book deal with outdoor-adventure books
publisher Vertebrate Publishing. John, who has spent
over forty years exploring the British mountains, is
originally from the Wirral and now lives in Inverness to
follow his passion for the hills. This summer, social enterprise Make CIC is set to start
work transforming a largely vacant building in Hamilton
Square into a destination for the arts, culture and creative
entrepreneurs. It will be a hive of activity which will also
include a community garden and urban farm; in addition
to a cafe, creative studios and meeting space offer.
New paperback editions of The Last Hillwalker and Bothy Tales –
shortlisted for The Great Outdoors Outdoor Book of the Year 2018 –
will be published alongside Burns’ new title Sky Dance in September. To be named Make Hamilton Square, this creative hub will provide
opportunities for the local community and visitors alike. People will
be able to take part in a diverse offer including events, classes and
opportunities to learn skills and crafts. The biggest transformation
will take place outside, with the revival of the currently neglected
“millennium garden” into a community garden space, just off Hamilton
Square. Plans include a small urban farm with raised beds for growing
vegetables; well-being space for sitting, reading, and meeting people;
and an outdoor courtyard for the cafe in the day and events at night.
Written with humour and compassion, Burns’ three books explore
the profound relationship between people and wild places. First
published in 2017, The Last Hillwalker has over 200 five-star reviews
on Amazon.
In Sky Dance, Burns returns to the Scottish hills to ask fundamental
questions about how we relate to this northern landscape, now that
wild land is threatened like never before – while hopefully raising a
few laughs along the way.
Outdoor writer Alex Roddie, who edited Sky Dance, said: ‘John Burns
is one of my most valued clients. Working on his books is a privilege
– he has a knack for blending genuine humour with a canny take on
British mountain culture.’
Burns began writing almost fifteen years ago and tours widely around
the UK with his one-man plays at theatres and mountain festivals,
including the Edinburgh Fringe. He has walked and climbed the hills
of Scotland for over forty years while making occasional trips to more
exotic locations like the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Canadian Rockies.
An expert ice climber, he was also a member of the Cairngorm
Mountain Rescue Team and has taken part in numerous rescues in
the Highlands.
For more information, please visit www.v-publishing.co.uk
8 wirrallife.com
Later this month Make Hamilton Square will launch a £5,000
crowdfunding campaign for support with the initial set-up costs of
reviving the garden. The campaign #MakeHamiltonGrow will seek
support to build planters, seats and even bee-hives with the aim
of creating an urban green oasis open to everyone. There will be
opportunities for people to help by rolling up their sleeves, learn skills
and get involved over the summer.
Local organisations are working with Make Hamilton Square to ensure
new opportunities around creative entrepreneurship, craft, making
and STEM skills are accessible to local residents through educational
workshops, hosted in the hub. This is paired with Wirral Council’s
ambition for greater footfall through expanding the leisure and cultural
offer in the area and the legacy of Wirral’s year as borough of culture.
A social impact forecast has been conducted on the project by First
Ark which found that the project has the opportunity to create £1.6
million of social impact for Wirral over the next five years. This focuses
on creating opportunities and improving well-being of those involved.