People who didn’t already know Hannah Bourne-Taylor could hardly fail to notice her bold method of getting Swifts on the political agenda, walking through London adorned only in artistic body paint to launch her petition to make Swift bricks mandatory in November 2022. Her latest book charts the journey of the author’s campaign, from the conception of the petition and the agonising wait for it to get the required number of signatures, to the various frustrations, delays and obstacles in getting a small and simple measure enshrined into law – and no, there is no happy ending where it all comes good. Her account provides a fascinating insight into what goes on in the corridors of power, and the various officials, government ministers, and especially lobbyists, do not come off well from it (although Zac Goldsmith emerges a knight in shining armour figure). It is also interesting to read about how the author worked with other well-known campaigners and found inspiration from their predecessors. 

Although the author convincingly makes the case for Swift bricks, she makes it clear that they are no panacea – securing the species will also require ensuring the birds can find sufficient food, for example. It is evident that the author is driven by a genuine love of birds and other wildlife, which is reflected in the various passages of general natural history writing and lamentations on humanity’s loss of connection with, and knowledge of, the natural world. Although the author has an in-depth knowledge of Swifts, she makes a point of saying she isn’t an ornithologist, and this is betrayed in the odd small slip, like when she describes Nightjars as one of the earliest-arriving spring migrants. Those small details aside though, you definitely root for her as she documents the time and energy she has invested in her campaign, and the toll it has taken on her health.

 I read this book in late April and early May, just as Swifts were returning to scream and dart through the skies above Thetford. I love Swifts too and feel devastated by their loss. I am grateful to Hannah for giving so much of herself to the cause, but she can’t do it alone. As her book title says, nature needs us all to step up. Get inspired and get involved.

Reviewed by

Viola Ross-Smith