What a way to begin a new year of events at The Bookery. On a crisp January evening, every seat was filled for a conversation that proved as nourishing as it was intimate. Eco‑psychotherapist, herbalist and writer Brigit Anna McNeill joined us to share the stories behind her new book, The Wild Within: What Plants Taught Me about Life, Recovery and Renewal, in a beautifully free‑flowing conversation led with brilliance and sensitivity by Sophie Pavelle.

Opening the conversation Sophie described the book as “a tremendous tonic to the bleak winter months,” a work shaped by cycles of renewal, healing and the quiet resilience of the natural world. Brigit explained that she intended the book to be nothing short of a love letter to the wild. Its structure mirrors the turning of the seasons, beginning not with the optimism of spring but in Autumn, with its mess, release and necessary decay. This, she said, is where change truly begins.

Brigit’s reading from Flowers in the Concrete brought the room into the overlooked edges of her Devon landscape—pavements, hedgerows, and the fierce beauty of so‑called weeds. When Sophie asked why the dandelion features so centrally in her work, Brigit smiled and admitted it is her “number one weed,” a plant so often dismissed yet rich in medicine, nourishment and quiet tenacity. She spoke candidly about how plants offered her something no human could at a time when she felt unsafe in her own body: companionship without demand, presence without judgement, a way back into herself.

Her second reading, drawn from across the Winter chapters, held the room in stillness. Winter, she said, is where the hush between breaking and bloom can teach us how to endure. It was in her own winters—times of personal upheaval—that she remembered the wildness that had always accompanied her: roses clinging unapologetically to fences, dandelions pushing through concrete, plants standing witness when she had no language for pain. These memories threaded through the writing, not as metaphor but as something true and lived.

Sophie reflected on how accessible and actionable the book feels, and Brigit responded that she deliberately resisted writing a book of instruction. Instead, she wanted a book grounded in sensation and story, one that invites readers back into relationship with the more‑than‑human world. Gratitude flowed as she spoke of the people who shaped her—especially her two grandmothers: one who taught her how to garden, and the other who famously walked her goats on leads and offered Brigit a place of sanctuary.

Her reading from the chapter Will brought a soft hush through the audience, a collective leaning‑in. These were not just botanical essays, but stories of recovery and returning—deeply human and profoundly rooted. When Sophie closed by asking Brigit which single plant she would invite to dinner, Brigit laughed and answered immediately: “Mugwort.” The room, already warm, erupted with delight.

Audience questions ranged widely—from herbal traditions to creative process—and Brigit answered each with generosity and humour. The evening closed with a book signing that cleared every last copy. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us, to Brigit for sharing such personal reflections with openness and grace, and to Sophie Pavelle for guiding the conversation so thoughtfully and sensitively.

All Photos by Felicity Billen Photography