Books Éanna Ní Lamhna’s wild world
Éanna Ní Lamhna
Naturalist and broadcaster Éanna Ní Lamhna is a longstanding member of the panel of experts on RTÉ Radio One’s wildlife show Mooney Goes Wild, and is one of the most instantly recognisable voices on Irish radio. Originally from Co Louth, she lives in Dublin. Éanna is also the author of several popular wildlife books including Talking Wild, Wild and Wonderful, and Straight Talking Wild. Her latest is Our Wild World: From the birds and bees to our boglands and ice caps.
How did the idea for Our Wild World first come to you?
It is the culmination of almost 30 years of explaining in lectures, radio programmes, presentations and field trips how the world works to a live audience. The hope is that if people really understood the impact our way of life has, they would be motivated to behave in a more positive way.
Why is the subject matter so relevant now?
It was always relevant but even more so now because of the increasing speed of climate change caused by human activity. This must be tackled at government level, as COVID was, and such measures must be supported and adopted by ourselves for them to work. There is realistically about ten years left to change our ways.
Is there a book from childhood that has stayed with you?
I have always been an avid reader. It’s hard to single out one in particular.
One book from adolescence that still stays with me is Full and Plenty by Maura Laverty. I made sure it came my way when our home contents were being divvied up. Not only is it a complete compendium of recipes, complete with sticky pages of our favourite ones, but Maura Laverty was a short story writer too and each chapter begins with a short story on the general theme of food and the impact it had on people’s lives.
Which writers have most influenced you?
Writers whose words you can understand from the first page, those books that you get from the beginning, those fiction writers who write so well that you can see the characters in your mind and imagine their lives, also those non-fiction writers who can explain clearly the topic or concept they are writing about. If it is done in a humorous way, then so much the better. Maeve Binchy is a great favourite of mine, as is Mary Lavin.
Why do you write?
To be immortal! Spoken words are ephemeral, electronic documents can be deleted and depend on machines to be disseminated, but published books can last as long as they have relevance and are valued.
What is the one book you would have on that desert island?
It would have to be Fish Cookery by Jane Grigson. Even if I hadn’t all the other ingredients available, just the fish – it being a desert island – how Jane writes about food is incomparable.
Our Wild World by Éanna Ní Lamhna is published by The O’brien Press.