Merlin Sheldrake

The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.

Entangled Life was, perhaps unexpectedly, one of the most talked about books of last year. We are delighted that author Merlin Sheldrake will join us for a live, in person event this October to celebrate its paperback release and the great success of this brilliant book.

Neither plant nor animal, they are found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. They can be microscopic, yet also account for the largest organisms ever recorded. They enabled the first life on land, can survive unprotected in space and thrive amidst nuclear radiation. In fact, nearly all life relies in some way on fungi. In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. Their ability to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the ‘Wood Wide Web’, is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet over ninety percent of their species remain undocumented.

Join us for a deep dive into the fascinating and little known world of mushrooms, as Merlin Sheldrake takes us on a mind-altering journey to show that fungi provide a key to understanding both the planet on which we live, and life itself.