In this episode, Sean Bean joins Poet Laureate Simon Armitage at RSPB Arne to explore how birds have inspired poetry and literature, and the books that first sparked a love of the natural world.

Plus, we meet writer and artist Jackie Morris, co-creator of The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, to hear how birds inspire her work, from the ravens flying overhead to The Book of Birds, her collaboration with Robert Macfarlane celebrating 49 threatened British bird species. We’ll also discover Spell Songs in Thin Air, inspired by The Book of Birds and the alarming thinning of our skies as birdlife disappears. Through music, poetry and art, the project aims to rekindle our love of nature and inspire us to protect it.

Bird biographer Stephen Moss explores the surprising history of puffins and the myths surrounding owls, revealing how our stories and traditions shape the way we see birds — and why understanding them is vital to protecting their future.

Produced by Hana Walker-Brown. The Executive Producer is Jane Gerber.

Spell Songs https://www.thelostwords.org/spell-songs/

The Book of Birds https://www.thelostwords.org/thebookofbirds/

The Bird Biographer Series by Stephen Moss https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/BRDBIO/the-bird-biography-series

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