Burn

Lyrical, moving and never self-pitying … a lovely book. * The Times *Short’s story is as much about work as it is escape and landscape; he illuminates the value of doing rather than thinking. Beautifully written, Burn is melancholy and hopeful in equal measure. Like taking a forest ramble in changeable weather, reading it leaves you feeling ruffled but alive * Mail on Sunday *An intriguing, touching and beautifully written book, about how it feels to be in a dark place spiritually, to move into the woods but enter an increasingly lighter place, to be practising the ancient skills of coppicing and charcoal burning, to love a dog. – Ruth PaveyIn this candid memoir, [Ben] learns the benefits of living simply … above all, Ben discovers the joys of risking everything in the search for personal happiness. * The Countryman *A most excellent read. Destined to become a classic in its field, much like Walter Rose’s memoir, The Village Carpenter – Sean HellmanAn extraordinary and powerful book, full of vitality. Every page celebrates the way traditional skills can shape who we are. – Tristan Gooley

Ben Short is a charcoal burner and woodsman, working in the Dorset countryside. A decade ago he worked as an advertising copywriter in London. He has lived in huts and old wagons, spent summers off-grid in woods, hauled his water from wells and had to forage for his supper. He lives in Dorset with his partner and son.

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