A best-selling Dorset author has returned to her home county to promote her new book which details life on a remote island off Northern Ireland.
Poole’s Ruby Free has spent the past three years living on Rathlin Island off the County Antrim coast working at an RSPB nature reserve.
Ms Free described a special homecoming event at a book shop in Westbourne this week, part of a nationwide tour, as a “full circle moment”.
The book, her first, has been endorsed by Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin, who said it “highlights the pure joy of experiencing nature but is expertly balanced with the reality that we could, and are, losing the battle to protect it.”
Since its launch on September 14 the book has become a bestseller in Northern Ireland as part of the Waterstones bookstore scheme.
Ms Free said: “As a first-time author, I didn’t really know what to expect but it has been really well received.”
The content of the book is mostly diary entries, voice notes Ruby sent to herself on WhatsApp and notes on her iPhone.
A lot of the content of the book was already written but it took about a year for her to pull it all together chronologically and add in the personal touches like drawings to give it an authentic feeling to her Rathlin experiences.
She created her nature-focused memoir by “weaving in facts and figures about nature loss and cool animal facts.”
She added: “I hope that people know that Dorset is a good little hub for wildlife.”
Ms Free said her main passion is getting as many people as possible onto the wavelength of campaigning for nature and disregarding the stereotypes of eco activists.
Continuing the book tour, she is now on her way to London for more signings at Wimbledon Bookfest.
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