Barley, Rocket and Kale. All growing under the trees along Quai de l’Hôtel de ville in Paris. Barley growing every spring was said by nationalist authors to symbolize continuous Irish resistance to British rule derived from the fact that the rebels frequently carried barley or oats in their pockets as provisions for when on the march. ‘A bullet pierced my true love’s side, In life’s young spring so early, And on my breast in blood she died While soft winds shook the barley!’ -Robert Dywer Joyce (1836-1883)

Save the date!! (22.3.25) Full day workshop on the first Saturday of Spring @thefieldnx . Foraging, lunch and writing workshop, thinking about plants, the city and futurity. BOOK FREE TICKETS LINK IN BIO. FREE AND ALL WELCOME.

FUCK BIG SHOPS, FEED YOURSELF FROM THE BLOCK poster no.1 available @freedombookshop @housmans_books . The poster is made of drawings by participants of the ‘Fuck Big Shops, Feed Yourself From The Block’ walks from 2023.

Meeting at 2pm on Saturday 5th October, 2 days before the anniversary of October 7th, in Place de la République, the slightly northern centre of Paris that hosts many protests and marches. This was a march to Place de Clichy, 3.6km to the west. Walking up Boulevard de Magenta, one foot follows the next, moving as a mass of living bodies, chanting solidarity with the dead. ‘Nous sommes les enfants de Gaza!‘ ‘ Nous sommes les enfants de Beyrouth!’ The crowd floats slowly up the boulevard, miming the few clouds above. Shadowed by trees arching over the road from left and right causing the sun to flicker and dapple. Somebody once told me that people are happiest in dappled light. The Lebanese flag flying ahead glows in the flicks of light it breathes, through the branches of the Turkish Hazel trees lining the boulevard. The Lebanese Cedar on the flag shines a different kind of green in and out of the sun ‘The righteous … shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon’ (Psalms ch.92 v.12) Amongst the feet of the people, the fallen leaves from the hazels are swimming amongst the gusts of air from the kicking of legs, we are walking with the leaves. This makes me think of Vita Sackville-West’s familial expression of something being ‘through leaves’, whilst describing something that embodies the satisfaction of the crunching of dried autumn leaves under ones foot. 394km away from her writing tower in Kent, we are here, on Boulevard de Magenta, walking through leaves, but with a demand. ‘Macron Complice!’ Hamish Fulton wrote on his walking practice ‘No walk, no work.’ We walk to create, walk to change, walk to demand. A foot stomps when one demands. I am re-naming this Boulevard de rouge, vert, blanc et noir. One foot follows the next. ‘No walk, no work.’

The wasp responsible for oak gall ink. Oak gall ink on paper

Participant’s writing from ‘Futurity is...’ workshop with Olivia Bowman written with oak gall ink. Oak gall ink was used until the mid 19th century in Europe, Shakespeare, the doomsday book and violent colonial documents would have all been written in this ink. It is a beautiful example of what Donna Haraway calls ‘sympoiesis’, a ‘making with’. When the andricus koilari wasp lays it’s eggs on an oak tree, the tree reacts and develops a gall around the eggs. The larvae develop and eventually burrow out leaving the gall. These empty galls are then collected to make ink and write our histories - humans making with wasps and trees.

Exhibition @avaloncafebermondsey 6/9/24 - 13/13/24. Photographs from, and drawings made by participants of, ‘Fuck Big Shops, Feed Yourself From the Block’ walks. Alongside writing from a workshop with Olivia Bowman using oak gall ink.

Exhibition at @avaloncafebermondsey 7/9/24 - 16/9/24. Private view and workshop co-hosted with Liv Bowman from 5pm-7:30pm 6/9/24. We will be meeting plants, each other, thinking, dreaming and writing. Making work to be part of the exhibition. EVERYONE WELCOME - FREE

‘Wild’ tomato plant growing on the street. A catalyst to imaginings of exciting seed dispersions. A missing bollard leaves way for a tomato plant’s home.

Moving towards earthlier futures at Porte de Clignancourt, Paris

Thanks to those that came to the first ‘Fuck Big Shops, Feed Yourself From The Block’ of 2024! We met, tasted and discussed over 20 plants growing all around us in London, as well as talking about the politics of access to land and knowledges. We finished with a tea of plants we met along the way 💚 more to come!

The first ‘FUCK BIG SHOPS, FEED YOURSELF FROM THE BLOCK’ event of 2024! This will be on April 27th at 1pm, which happens to be Antonio Gramsci’s birthday. A beginners foraging walking tour through Bethnal Green. We will meet and taste wild edibles that we all pass everyday and discuss the political context of this act, dream of more earthly futures and hopefully make some tea. EVERYONE WELCOME - LINK IN BIO FOR FREE TICKETS