Nicola Chester
@nicolawriting.bsky.social
Nature. Writer. Reader. Rural.
Guardian Country Diary, BBC Countryfile, RSPB.
Award winning On Gallows Down. Ghosts of the Farm coming 30/11!
Climate Fic Prize Judge.
North Wessex Downs.
https://nicolachester.com/
https://linktr.ee/nicolachesterwriting
Guardian Country Diary, BBC Countryfile, RSPB.
Award winning On Gallows Down. Ghosts of the Farm coming 30/11!
Climate Fic Prize Judge.
North Wessex Downs.
https://nicolachester.com/
https://linktr.ee/nicolachesterwriting
Pinned
Nicola Chester
@nicolawriting.bsky.social
· Apr 15
Thrilled to announce my new book & reveal its stunning cover! Ghosts of the Farm - Two Women’s Journeys Through Time, Land & Community, published by the lovely @chelseagreenbooks.bsky.social in the UK & US, on 30th September. Available to pre-order now. It’s a delicious, urgent kind of haunting 1/5
Gloriously atmospheric… the blackbirds’ winterdink …
& though you only find space as light slips & rots it seems you work on avian time & it is noisy at purple hour as cloking pheasants alarm & blackbirds winterdink, corvids hold quorum & the robin repeats dawnsong - headlights on nearfarms swing: all prepare for dark
November 10, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Gloriously atmospheric… the blackbirds’ winterdink …
Reposted by Nicola Chester
I present the UK’s one and only TV show about books. We feature readers & writers from across Scotland, around the UK and all over the world. It’s commissioned by BBC Scotland & made by IWC. Public broadcasting is a shared space for sharing stories & building bridges.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Scotland - The Big Scottish Book Club - Available now
Available episodes of The Big Scottish Book Club
www.bbc.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I present the UK’s one and only TV show about books. We feature readers & writers from across Scotland, around the UK and all over the world. It’s commissioned by BBC Scotland & made by IWC. Public broadcasting is a shared space for sharing stories & building bridges.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
Reposted by Nicola Chester
My granddaughter, Arrietty (aged 10, and home schooled) has started coming to me this term for Nature Studies.
This Small Copper butterfly is from her nature journal.
Next week we’re studying Jays, and the role they play in the growth of Oak forests, so watch this space…
#nature #butterflies
This Small Copper butterfly is from her nature journal.
Next week we’re studying Jays, and the role they play in the growth of Oak forests, so watch this space…
#nature #butterflies
November 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
My granddaughter, Arrietty (aged 10, and home schooled) has started coming to me this term for Nature Studies.
This Small Copper butterfly is from her nature journal.
Next week we’re studying Jays, and the role they play in the growth of Oak forests, so watch this space…
#nature #butterflies
This Small Copper butterfly is from her nature journal.
Next week we’re studying Jays, and the role they play in the growth of Oak forests, so watch this space…
#nature #butterflies
Lovely warm welcome from the @waterstones.bsky.social Romsey crowd… & a really wonderful interview from @julia-in-between.bsky.social. So glad I managed to hobble & make it!
November 10, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Lovely warm welcome from the @waterstones.bsky.social Romsey crowd… & a really wonderful interview from @julia-in-between.bsky.social. So glad I managed to hobble & make it!
Reposted by Nicola Chester
#VOH stands for Voices of Hookland, because you can’t tell the truths of anywhere and exclude voices that aren’t the middle class academics, authors and professionals the weird fiction genre relies too heavily upon. Dairy men, shelf stackers, factory workers all sing the strange truths of place.
November 7, 2025 at 9:17 AM
#VOH stands for Voices of Hookland, because you can’t tell the truths of anywhere and exclude voices that aren’t the middle class academics, authors and professionals the weird fiction genre relies too heavily upon. Dairy men, shelf stackers, factory workers all sing the strange truths of place.
This is lovely… the women in my book, their loyal, brilliant farmworkers & community are my community 60-80yrs ago. People knew them. Had to give the research my all to bring them to authentic, wry & funny life. They were modern, then. #booksky #GhostsoftheFarm
Ah, @nicolawriting.bsky.social , such a delightful read. Beautifully written, and the exhausting research was well worth the effort. How wonderful to have such a story on your doorstep and be able to bring it, and the lovely characters, to life and make us think about how much we have lost. Bravo!
November 9, 2025 at 10:23 AM
This is lovely… the women in my book, their loyal, brilliant farmworkers & community are my community 60-80yrs ago. People knew them. Had to give the research my all to bring them to authentic, wry & funny life. They were modern, then. #booksky #GhostsoftheFarm
Reposted by Nicola Chester
This is lovely on the most gorgeous plant. There was a brief phase of fashion in, I think 2000, of clashing pink & orange. I was on trend (briefly) then, & had a sheer layered skirt & top in those colours, for dancing in, when we could get a babysitter. I still remember it as my 'spindle outfit.'
In today's @theguardian.com country diary, I'm hunting for the county's first ever recorded wild plant along the same the road where it was spotted by the father of British botany, William Turner, in 1548.
#naturewriting #countrydiary
#naturewriting #countrydiary
Country diary: Red-hot spindle sets the hedgerow ablaze | Nic Wilson
Braughing, Hertfordshire: This fiery plant is one of the most startling sights of autumn – and it has a place in history in this county
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This is lovely on the most gorgeous plant. There was a brief phase of fashion in, I think 2000, of clashing pink & orange. I was on trend (briefly) then, & had a sheer layered skirt & top in those colours, for dancing in, when we could get a babysitter. I still remember it as my 'spindle outfit.'
Oh that I had Sky! Look at this!
On Sunday at 10pm, Sky Arts are showing the fabulous film about women war artists. It's really worth watching. tveveryday.com/war-paint-wo...
War Paint - Women At War Airs November 9 2025 on Sky Arts - TV Everyday
"War Paint - Women At War" is set to air on Sky Arts at 10:00 PM on Sunday, November 9, 2025. This compelling documentary shines a light on the significant
tveveryday.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Oh that I had Sky! Look at this!
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Grasmere today on student field trip - dwelling perpectives & 'taskscapes' - & managed to disappear for 10 to buy Ghosts of the Farm @nicolawriting.bsky.social from @samreadbookseller.bsky.social - winding back towards M6 & the weekend...
November 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Grasmere today on student field trip - dwelling perpectives & 'taskscapes' - & managed to disappear for 10 to buy Ghosts of the Farm @nicolawriting.bsky.social from @samreadbookseller.bsky.social - winding back towards M6 & the weekend...
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Finally, finally, I am getting round to reading this. Ghosts of the Farm by @nicolawriting.bsky.social (Well, y'know, a pile of good books to read is a wonderful thing and I've had a few). I am engrossed from the start. What a terrific book, what writing. This is going to be so interesting.
November 7, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Finally, finally, I am getting round to reading this. Ghosts of the Farm by @nicolawriting.bsky.social (Well, y'know, a pile of good books to read is a wonderful thing and I've had a few). I am engrossed from the start. What a terrific book, what writing. This is going to be so interesting.
Horses tell the story of the rural working class, particularly women, which is often a surprise to many (work, not ownership.) Women historically gatekept from any other influence on the land. #GhostsoftheFarm tells this story, as well as the remarkable, forgotten, warm & funny narrative of 1/2
November 6, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Horses tell the story of the rural working class, particularly women, which is often a surprise to many (work, not ownership.) Women historically gatekept from any other influence on the land. #GhostsoftheFarm tells this story, as well as the remarkable, forgotten, warm & funny narrative of 1/2
Reposted by Nicola Chester
I know many of you will already have done something to help the people of Jamaica, but if you felt like helping a specific family, this is the GoFundMe set up by my son’s girlfriend for her relatives, who find themselves in dire straits. Every bit helps, shares appreciated. gofund.me/9b5b74984
Donate to Hurricane Melissa: Please help support our family in Jamaica, organized by Taylor Mitchell
Hello everyone,
Many of you have heard about Hurricane Melis… Taylor Mitchell needs your support for Hurricane Melissa: Please help support our family in Jamaica
gofund.me
November 5, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I know many of you will already have done something to help the people of Jamaica, but if you felt like helping a specific family, this is the GoFundMe set up by my son’s girlfriend for her relatives, who find themselves in dire straits. Every bit helps, shares appreciated. gofund.me/9b5b74984
Woodcock moon in a dappled sky. Didn’t capture in photo, but there were, there are, winter migrant birds streaming across it in ones, twos, half a dozen: redwing, fieldfare & woodcock visible to the naked eye & through binoculars. Muted, distant fireworks, a bonfire scent, & all the magic up there.
November 5, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Woodcock moon in a dappled sky. Didn’t capture in photo, but there were, there are, winter migrant birds streaming across it in ones, twos, half a dozen: redwing, fieldfare & woodcock visible to the naked eye & through binoculars. Muted, distant fireworks, a bonfire scent, & all the magic up there.
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Someone should write a novel about this. www.amazon.co.uk/Woodcock-Ric...
November 5, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Someone should write a novel about this. www.amazon.co.uk/Woodcock-Ric...
My turn @environment.theguardian.com Country Diary today, er, before the fall. A new purlieu, where there be giants… & for pictures of those, 1/2
Country diary: The strange familiarity of moving a mile away | Nicola Chester
Inkpen, Berkshire: With autumn in full swing, I walk the local area from my new centre, seeing farmhouses and woodland from fresh angles
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:05 AM
My turn @environment.theguardian.com Country Diary today, er, before the fall. A new purlieu, where there be giants… & for pictures of those, 1/2
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
November 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
My nature writing-historical-memoiry mash-up, about pioneering, forgotten women & queer farmers has been out a month! Holed up with a broken leg (will be at Romsey Waterstones & Folde) but I’d love some cheer, shares, a review or stars on that Amzn site to help things along! #GhostsoftheFarm x
November 4, 2025 at 8:45 AM
My nature writing-historical-memoiry mash-up, about pioneering, forgotten women & queer farmers has been out a month! Holed up with a broken leg (will be at Romsey Waterstones & Folde) but I’d love some cheer, shares, a review or stars on that Amzn site to help things along! #GhostsoftheFarm x
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Good news and fluffy owlets from our team in the South West!
Working closely with the West Cornwall Ringing Group, our ranger team has recorded the most successful barn owl breeding season in Cornwall. A total of 21 chicks were raised, a clear sign of a thriving population.
Working closely with the West Cornwall Ringing Group, our ranger team has recorded the most successful barn owl breeding season in Cornwall. A total of 21 chicks were raised, a clear sign of a thriving population.
November 4, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Good news and fluffy owlets from our team in the South West!
Working closely with the West Cornwall Ringing Group, our ranger team has recorded the most successful barn owl breeding season in Cornwall. A total of 21 chicks were raised, a clear sign of a thriving population.
Working closely with the West Cornwall Ringing Group, our ranger team has recorded the most successful barn owl breeding season in Cornwall. A total of 21 chicks were raised, a clear sign of a thriving population.
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Thank you everyone who voted for me! I hope to prove myself useful as we go forward, and hope to keep building a union that can represent and work for us all.
November 3, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Thank you everyone who voted for me! I hope to prove myself useful as we go forward, and hope to keep building a union that can represent and work for us all.
Reposted by Nicola Chester
Can’t wait to chatter all things #GhostsoftheFarm at Romsey Waterstones 6th Nov, then @foldedorset.bsky.social on the 13th. Rural women, farmgatekeeping, WWII Homefront, horses, cowgirls, farm wildlife, barn owls, the SOUND & sight of the northern lights, climate & land justice… & ghosts! #booksky
October 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Can’t wait to chatter all things #GhostsoftheFarm at Romsey Waterstones 6th Nov, then @foldedorset.bsky.social on the 13th. Rural women, farmgatekeeping, WWII Homefront, horses, cowgirls, farm wildlife, barn owls, the SOUND & sight of the northern lights, climate & land justice… & ghosts! #booksky
Dordi, but this is brilliant … a book/ TV that comes alive again…
“The colours of the outfits of three of the main characters, Alison, Gwyn and Roger, were based on an older International Colour Code for electrical wiring...”
ayearinthecountry.co.uk/filming-the-...
ayearinthecountry.co.uk/filming-the-...
November 3, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Dordi, but this is brilliant … a book/ TV that comes alive again…
Reposted by Nicola Chester
For bird place-name of the day 105, I’m using the same map for yesterday, because right by Yarner Wood, in the corner of the map, is ULLACOMBE (Farm), one of several old owl-combe places in this part of the country. #birdsandplace #baturewriting @thebookery.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social
November 2, 2025 at 12:32 PM
For bird place-name of the day 105, I’m using the same map for yesterday, because right by Yarner Wood, in the corner of the map, is ULLACOMBE (Farm), one of several old owl-combe places in this part of the country. #birdsandplace #baturewriting @thebookery.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social
Oh so here’s the update. Pffffft. Wasn’t a sprain that I hobbled around on for a couple of days. Have broken my leg above the ankle, & not in a straightforward way. Turns out, you can’t refuse to have a broken leg, because you’ve lots to do. Hurrumph.
November 2, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Oh so here’s the update. Pffffft. Wasn’t a sprain that I hobbled around on for a couple of days. Have broken my leg above the ankle, & not in a straightforward way. Turns out, you can’t refuse to have a broken leg, because you’ve lots to do. Hurrumph.
Just finished this beautifully written, deliciously alive, little-big book. #TheCompanyofOwls @pollyrowena.bsky.social is a slim, rich, nourishing read that is both vast & intimate: vast with a wide-eyed wonder & love of the world we live in, & intimate through such close & immediate inquiry. 1/7
November 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Just finished this beautifully written, deliciously alive, little-big book. #TheCompanyofOwls @pollyrowena.bsky.social is a slim, rich, nourishing read that is both vast & intimate: vast with a wide-eyed wonder & love of the world we live in, & intimate through such close & immediate inquiry. 1/7