The New Eden Wildlife in the City, and Discovering Our Shared Home

About this book

JC Niala grew up in the city of Nairobi – the only city with a national park in its borders. There she first encountered what life is like when a city is deeply intertwined with nature – and what happens when that relationship is in jeopardy. Through her experience of living in cities across the world, from London to San Francisco, anthropologist JC Niala is perfectly placed to offer a deep exploration into life in our cities.

From the origins our parks, to modern acts of guerilla gardening, JC uses case studies from across the globe to challenge the perception of our place in the city, and our means of connection to the natural world. Each encounter attests to the growing realisation that nature is abundant in our cities – and it is time to discover a new way of living.

Combining memoir, social history, and cultural commentary, JC Niala celebrates city life and asks what we are missing by overlooking nature in the everyday – and, by doing so, offers a powerful vision of the future where we can all co-exist.

Customer Reviews

Biography

JC Niala is an award-winning writer, environmental historian and anthropologist specialising in human-nature interactions. JC works as the Deputy Director and Head of Research, Teaching and Collections at the History of Science Museum, University of Oxford.

She has also been on BBC's The Conversation and Thinking Allowed, and she wrote and narrated the nature podcast series The Root of the Matter with Wellcome Collection. She has appeared on panels at The Garden Museum, London, The Old Fire Station in Oxford and participated in the Edinburgh International Book Festival (where she interviewed Olivia Laing), as well as Chiswick Book Festival and Chelsea History Festival. JC lives in Oxford and Nairobi – and has lived in other cities, including London and San Francisco.