18th June - Christina Riley 'Looking Down at the Stars'

Join us at Wild Fungarium to discover the wonder of marine life seen up close in these joyous and sparkling essays with Christina Riley.

Christina Riley will be joined by Wild Fungarium's Lizzie to discuss her book 'Looking Down at the Stars' on the 18th of June followed by a Q&A and book signing. 

In 2022, Christina Riley became an ‘underwater artist in residence’ at the Argyll Coast Hope Spot – a place of incredible natural beauty in Scotland also crucial for the health of the world’s oceans. She spent days submerged alongside marine life, before resurfacing to reflect, recreate and recount what she had seen – and the feelings of love, hope and responsibility her experience had evoked in her.

The resulting essays, collected in this stunning volume, swim through the kaleidoscope of marine life she found there, from starfish to seagrass to the water itself. What shines through all of them is a sense of wonder that is also a call to action. Looking Down at the Stars asks: how can we harness our feelings of awe at the natural world in order to take better care of it?

Christina Riley’s lyrical prose is the perfect guide to this unfamiliar underwater world, brimming with surprises, sunlight and sea stars.

Christina Riley was born in Florida and grew up in Ayrshire on Scotland’s west coast, where she now resides. With a focus on coastal waters, her work draws attention to small details — a particular species, object or place — to shift perspectives and encourage new ways of seeing and experiencing our surroundings, natural and otherwise.

"Christina Riley is a tremendous writer, and a truly gifted observer. Her portraits of the underwater world are vivid and precise, often surprising, always illuminating. Looking Down at the Stars is a book of wonder and delight." Malachy Tallack

Venue : Wild Fungarium
Date: Thursday 18th June
Doors Open: 6.45pm
Start Time: 7.00pm

Voucher Options:

Admission + No Book: This voucher includes admission to the event only. This voucher is redeemable against a copy of the featured books. (This is on a first come first serve basis while stock lasts and is only valid up to, and on the day of the event. One book per voucher)

Admission + Book: This voucher includes admission to the event and a copy of the featured book.

YOU MUST BRING YOUR 'ORDER CONFIRMATION EMAIL' OR YOUR 'RECEIPT' AS THESE PERMIT YOU ENTRY TO THE EVENT.