Always Take Notes
#169: Helen Macdonald, nature writer and novelist
Sep 19, 2023
Rachel and Simon speak with Helen Macdonald, nature writer and novelist, about her success with 'H is for Hawk', her new sci-fi novel 'Profit', and writing about the natural world. They discuss collaborative writing, grief, training a hawk, exploring Midway Atoll, and the evolution of nature writing with diverse voices.
01:00:47
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Quick takeaways
- Helen Macdonald discusses her venture into the sci-fi genre with her novel 'Prophet', exploring themes of nostalgia and its dark political aspects.
- Helen McDonald shares her personal journey as a writer, from her love of birds to the impact of her breakthrough book 'H is for Hawk' on readers.
Deep dives
Helen McDonald's novel 'Profit' and her venture into sci-fi
Helen McDonald discusses her novel 'Profit' and her venture into the sci-fi genre. She shares how the idea for 'Profit' came about and the collaborative process of co-writing it with Sin Blashe. Their goal was to write something fun and subversive, exploring themes of nostalgia and its dark political aspects. Helen also discusses the unique writing process for 'Profit', which involved direct messaging on Twitter with her co-author. She expresses pride in the book and excitement about reaching different audiences through the sci-fi genre.
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