My first book, Meetings with Moths, was published by 4th Estate on 27th April 2023.
It’s been exciting to see it out in the real world! I have no idea how well it is selling or what most readers are making of it, but I have had some lovely comments and endorsement from many of the mothy people I admire. Phew!
More importantly, under the guise of promoting the book, there’s been opportunity to do a bit of moth PR. This is what it is all about, so I hope there is more.
I don’t expect to turn everybody into a light-trapping moth enthusiast, or see a nation of net-wielding moth recorders emerge from somewhere, but I really hope that Meetings with Moths and the publicity it gets makes people notice the moths living around them more. Once noticed, with a little bit of curiousity and a small amount of knowledge, an encounter with a moth (or caterpillar) becomes a more rewarding experience for the observer. And from there, hopefully more understanding and care about the fascinating world of moths will follow and spread.
Then Meetings With Moths will have achieved its aim.
In the Scottish Mail:
Herald Scotland book review covering Meetings with Moths alongside another new book Wild Air, by James Lockheart. “Baird is a captivating guide to the surprising world of this astonishingly diverse creature – and indeed, that of the people who pursue them” https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23492241.wild-air-james-macdonald-lockhart-meetings-moths/
A 5* review on Goodreads: “Meetings with Moths, written by Katty Baird, is an engaging and informative book that captures the author’s love and fascination for these elusive creatures…” Full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67354038-meeting-with-moths
BBC Radio 6 in the Lauren Laverne show ‘supernature’ slot, 1 hr 8 mins in: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001l13c
And in the Scotsman magazine:
Moth World 