OPINION
Sara Maitland
A huge thank you and farewell to our longstanding columnist, by Fergus Collins
“After seven years of monthly columns from the countryside, Sara Maitland has decided to pass on the writing baton, due to illness. Regular readers will have noticed that Nicola Chester has stepped in admirably over the past few months and I’m delighted to say that Nicola has agreed to continue the column throughout 2023. A worthy successor indeed.
But this moment is tinged with much sadness, as Sara’s writing has been a cornerstone of BBC Countryfile Magazine since her first column at the end of 2014, when she took over from the late Candida Lycett Green. Few other pages in the magazine have encouraged so much dialogue with readers and Sara’s beautifully written pieces came from the heart of someone immersed in rural life.
We could easily produce a supplement with the brilliant replies we’ve received from you in response to Sara. She could write a cold demolition of a daft government policy one month then equally compellingly on the magic of single-track country lanes the next. I know how pleased she is that her passionate plea for more nature in schools has been answered – in England at least – in the form of a natural history GCSE.
Rural life for Sara is Galloway in southern Scotland. Here she lives simply, in touch with her local community, the farmers, rural workers, artists and shopkeepers and that, along with the wildlife she encounters, populates much of her writing for Countryfile. Her most recent books: The Book of Silence, Gossip from the Forest and How To Be Alone underline her deeply reflective approach – to slow down, to look, to appreciate, to understand ourselves better. It’s a far cry from her university days when she was close friends with Bill Clinton, who would go on to become US President. I never did ask her about that…
INFORMED AND FIERCE
But this did not stop Sara from voicing strong opinions on the rural world, government policy and poor practice – farming or conservation. Her very first column celebrated the role of the Forestry Commission in managing publicly owned woodlands at a time when the then Government was exploring the possibility of selling them off. She spoke truth to power on a frequent basis. Her connections to and understanding of the countryside and the farming world give her thoughts and opinions, extra power and authority. But the great joy of her column was the range and depth of her contributions where her fierce love for nature, art, craft and people shone through. You can now read Sara’s columns online at Countryfile.com.
And so the baton passes to Nicola Chester and I know that Sara will be pleased that such a respected and inspirational voice of the countryside will carry on the column. Nicola was recently runner-up in the 2022 James Cropper Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing for her book On Gallows Down. When I read the book, I knew immediately that Nicola was a fresh, passionate voice for the countryside. I know you will enjoy her words, so look out for her first official column in our January issue.
For now, from me and the team, I would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to Sara Maitland and wish her all the best for her future writing and country adventures.”
Have your say
What do you think about the issues raised here? Write to us or email editor@countryfile.com