Book News – The Wisdom of Elephants
This book is simply the most beautiful moving and authentic work that I've ever had the privilege to read. I am moved beyond words. I thought I knew these elephants but today I feel like they have been introduced to me afresh. Thank you for sharing yourself so beautifully. This book is a gift to Tim and all the elephants of the world. I love it - so many words in this book resonate with me. This is my book.
— Dr. Winnie Kiiru: Conservationist, Elephant Advocate, Member of the Board of Trustees of The Amboseli Trust.
My book, The Wisdom of Elephants is back from the book designer and the pdf draft is in the hands of beta readers in Kenya. I never imagined I would publish a book. It is happening, it’s coming together!
Two years ago, when COVID sent us all to our rooms in lockdown, I was bursting with the story of my encounter with the elephants of Amboseli, Kenya in January 2020. I joined a Seth Godin online Akimbo course called The Creatives Workshop in February that year. Talk about serendipity – the online community and Seth’s message – the world needs your work – provided the venue and supportive community for my book to come to fruition. Without this community of fellow artists, writers, changemakers, my work would still be sitting in a document file on my computer. Seth’s book The Practice – Shipping Creative Work, outlines the key ingredients our community used to find our voice and ship our work. I was in that first cohort of TCW (our community photo is printed inside his book cover). I honed my website and launched my blog during those months. I learned to write every day – writing became a “practice”.
At the conclusion of The Creatives Workshop, Seth asked, “Who wants to write a book?” Many of us now dared to imagine becoming an author. The Akimbo Writing in Community course was a natural transition for many of us. We are a global community writing our books together. The support, access to resources and diversity of subject matter is inspiring, this community of writers got me to this point. I’ve also had incredible guidance from internationally renowned National Geographic photographer, Ami Vitale, and web and design support from Corwin Levi at Gwarlingo Studio. My project would not be where it is today without this community of caring, wise, and talented friends.
Who is this book for? It’s for readers who care about the planet, who care about wildlife, particularly elephants – extraordinary intelligent animals who are aligned with humanity in so many ways – family structure, emotional intelligence, memory, wisdom, and even intergenerational trauma. It’s for seekers who are open to exploring their lives through another person’s story of grief and loss, awe and wonder. It’s for photographers and book lovers, those of us who like to hold a book in our hands, who see books as art.
The next step is to send 20 pages off to my printer in Calgary for proof copies to choose the paper. Corwin and I are developing the landing page for the book and setting up presale content.
A photo exhibit will accompany my formal book launch next September. I have added a limited edition of two signed large-scale images to my online gallery (The Wisdom of Elephants and Family Reunion). These archival Fine Art Prints are printed on authentic French ARCHES® paper, 100% Cotton with a smooth texture and no optical brighteners. I’m thrilled with the framed versions of these prints.
26"x32"
42"x22"
You’re invited!
I’m presenting at the London Camera Club this Thursday, March 17th via zoom. You are welcome to attend as a guest. The fee is $10. Here’s the link to the invitation. Below is a description of the evening.
For those who love Africa, dream of going on safari or are armchair travelers, this evening of visual storytelling will take you to the heart of what it’s like to be up close with the largest mammal on earth. The 90-minute presentation plus Q & A is the tale of my journey to photograph the elephants of Amboseli, Kenya and how they changed my life. The seminar will include tips about photographing wildlife, visual storytelling, and safari travel.
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