When I was a kid we didn't have many books at home, nor much money to buy books. At the time, as a child, I knew little about publishers, or publishing. When I had money to buy books I would go to W H Smiths, who sold magazines, stationary, and books. And I always knew the books with the little bird on the spine were good. Alan Garner, Watership Down, Tarka the Otter, these are the few I remember, but I remember clearly that symbol, and also the Puffin Club. How I envied kids at school who sported those enamel badges.

I still carry that child inside me, along with all the ages I have ever been, and she rises to the surface with delight at the sight of an enamel badge. So, Tamsin and I got to talking, about growing a community of supporters for Wild Folk. We have a desire to do more than just get people to pledge so our book will be published. We would like to draw people together. We are hoping to do events in support of teh book as it grows, share process with supporters, and also share the wild work of others working in different fields, woods, mountains and the same. And so, to the delight of the small child me, Tamsin is creating a series of 7 enamel badges, one for each tale, AND we have a Wild Folk badge, with lettering by Stephen Raw, and amazing calligrapher. Do take a look at his work. His lettering is just amazing. I first met him when we worked together .

 

Tamsin has done all the work on this one, from design to sourcing what we hope is the best enamel pin service. We had help with this from an artist known as SinEater. His advice was that the pin people we have chosen to go to might be a bit more expensive, but they are the best he has used. ( It is always good, but sometimes unusual when people share such info). Do take a look at his instagram account. It is light and life and death and tradition and deeply rooted in wildness.

So, at the moment we will jus have the two badges, but Tamsin will work on the other six as the book developes.

Above is the only visuals we have of them so far. I will post images as soon as I have them. You can upgrade a pledge. Follow this link to see how to upgrade, and if you have problems ask teh Unbound site for help. They will guide you through.

https://unbound.gorgias.help/en-US/can-i-upgrade-my-reward-level-209017

I always panic and don't read things properly when doing stuff like this, so understand that it can be difficult. 

I am working on the Black Fox story now, so that Tamsin can continue to illustrate it, and she is looking at Wayland, a longer and more finished piece about the man who crafted Excalibur, his swan bride, and the courage of a wren.

We hope badges delight your hearts, as they do ours. I must get back to the bird book now. Today I am gilding great skuas and hoping for clear weather to walk on the beach at low tide. Thinking of taking a stone to leave as a gift, for the sea, or whoever finds it.  Tell me, what were your favourite books as a child; fiction, non fiction, classics, adventure ( I loved all the Willard Price books- guilty pleasure at a young age, but also, My Friend Flicka, The Green Grass of Wyoming, Call of the Wild, Watership Down, Alan Graner's strange tales and Susan Cooper's books. But also a book called The Runaways, about a boy and a cheetah).