Mark Rumary News Today

Author has always felt like something of an outsider and it has been a spur for their writing

As her new book The Garden Against Time is published, Olivia Laing talks about notions of paradise, her love of Derek Jarman, and envisioning the garden as a political space

A vivid account of bringing a garden back to life underlines the importance of outdoor space for all

While a cast of literary heavyweights grace Laing’s account of her garden restoration, the real joys lie in her detailed description of the pruning and the planting and the soothing effect on her state of mind

From manicured, exclusive retreats built on slave money to common ground in which to seed utopian dreams, gardens occupy a fertile space in our lives and imaginations

For the author, the process of creating and tending her garden in the English countryside is akin to that of shaping a book.