Philippa collaborates with The Woodland Trust

Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods, a beautiful short story collection edited by Tracy Chevalier and Simon Prosser, was launched last evening at an exclusive fundraising event held at Fortnum & Mason, London, designed to help raise awareness of and funds for the Woodland Trust’s woodland creation activities,

A selection of the original story contributors attended the event including William Fiennes, Joanne Harris, Amanda Craig, Rachel Billington, Susan Elderkin, Terence Blacker, Maria McCann and Tracy Chevalier.

Clive Anderson, President of the Woodland Trust, introduced the evening’s events which included an ‘In Conversation’ between Sandi Toksvig and Tracy Chevalier and readings from the book by Terence Blacker, Sue Perkins, Roger Lloyd Pack and Tracy Chevalier.

A silent auction was also held, the donations and proceeds from which will pay for trees for Jubilee Woods and help double native woodland cover across the UK.

All the tales included in the book focus on UK native species. The authors have also had a tree dedicated in their name at Heartwood Forest in Hertfordshire, where for the last few years the MAN Booker judges have symbolically planted trees to represent those felled in order to produce the hundreds of books submitted to the panel.

The book is published by Indie Books in hardback priced £12.95. Copies are available to buy through a dedicated Why Willows Weep landing page, accessed via the Woodland Trust website: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/whywillowsweep

The book will also be available in late November from Five Dials, the online magazine published by Hamish Hamilton: www.fivedials.com

For every copy of Why Willows Weep sold, the Woodland Trust will be able to plant five native trees.

Trees are being planted as part of the Woodland Trust Jubilee Woods Project to celebrate the

Diamond Jubilee of HRH Queen Elizabeth.