My name is Hannah Lilly and I live in the sea-side town of Folkestone in Kent.
I was introduced to the joy of bird watching by my dad at a young age. Now, I’m a aspiring nature writer keen to share my enthusiasm with others and advocate for the role of nature in supporting mental health.
Birding background
I have been a birder since I was seven years old, when my dad started taking me to nature reserves. I spent much of my childhood in Dungeness, Stodmarsh and roaming the halls of Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory. Here, I attended the RSPB youth groups between the ages of 7 to 18; gained a trainee bird ringing license; and later volunteered as an education leader for the same groups I attended as a child. While I have less time to spend in the field now, I still go bird watching as much as possible and enjoy sharing my experiences on my blog.
Writing career at a glance
My freelance career began in 2021 when I created a range of nature-themed short stories and meditation scripts for mindfulness app, Carbon Unwind.
Shortly after, I graduated with a first class degree in English Literature and produced an award-winning dissertation about the symbolic and descriptive portrayal of birds in Romantic poetry.
I then began my full-time role as a B2C travel copywriter.
I’m currently halfway through my Travel and Nature Writing MA at Bath Spa University, taught by esteemed writers Jonathan Laurie, Jane Adams, Gail Simmons, Amanda Tuke, and, until recently, Stephen Moss.
My first article about marshland bird conservation, written alongside Dominic Couzens, was published in the July 2024 edition of Bird Watching magazine.
My blog
This blog is a place to share my bird-watching experiences, book reviews, creative non-fiction writing and my general thoughts.
As someone recovering from an eating disorder, I have a keen interest in sharing how nature can positively impact our mental health, whether that is learning about nature from your bed or going birding internationally. Wherever you find yourself, I hope that my blog can provide some relief and/or inspiration.
I hope that you enjoy reading about my experiences, and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me! I would love to connect with and learn from as many people as possible.