Letters to the Earth

Writing to a Planet in Crisis

By: Emma Thompson

Narrated by: Emma Thompson, Andrew Scott, Juliet Stevenson, Mark Rylance, Caroline Lucas MP, Alex Lawther, full cast

Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A profound, powerful and moving collection of 100 letters from around the world responding to the climate crisis, introduced by Emma Thompson and lovingly illustrated by CILIP award winner Jackie Morris.

How can we begin to talk about what is happening to the world? How can we explain to our children, and to ourselves, what the future of our planet might look and feel like? Letters to the Earth is the beginning of a new conversation. One that attempts to answer some of these questions by listening to the voices of parents and children; politicians and poets; songwriters and scientists. Gathering together over 100 letters written in response to a callout from Culture Declares Emergency, each entry begins to give language to the unspeakable and shows how our collective power is present when we are ready to slow down and listen to each other. It’s natural to feel worried or concerned about what the future of the earth holds. These letters are an opportunity to reflect on our connection to the planet and the way it faithfully sustains us. But they are also an opportunity to act, to respond to this crisis. To put pen to paper and make your voice heard. Includes contributions from activist Yoko Ono, actor Mark Rylance, poet Kae Tempest, actor Mark Rylance, author Laline Paull, illustrator of The Lost Words Jackie Morris, novelist Anna Hope, environmental writer Jay Griffiths and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.

This audiobook includes performances from over 60 actors, authors and activists, including:

• Emma Thompson
• Mark Rylance
• Andrew Scott
• Juliet Stevenson
• Caroline Lucas MP
• Alex Lawther
• Kae Tempest
• Lee Ross
• Matthew Todd
• Jumoke Fashola
• Dr Gail Bradbrook
• Jackie Morris
• Morfydd Clark
• Danny Sapani
• Hannah Scott
• Paapa Essiedu
• Anna Hope
• Greg Hicks
• Sudha Bhuchar
• Tyrone Huggins
• and the Youth Strikers

The full cast also includes: Jo McInness, Jay Griffiths, Kay Michael, Jennifer Lim, Greg Hicks, Freya Manor, Leah Brotherhead, Isla Lee, Dolly Webb, Nia Towle, Chirag Lobo, Charlie Beck, Kiki May, Daniela Torres Perez, Justice Savage, Simreth Child, Olivia Dowd, Jessica Hayles, Jem Bendell, Hairkiran Dhingra, Simon McBurney, Sylvian, Stephen Dillane, Nimmi, Mickey Lyndon, Nicola Espitalier Noel, Joy Elias-Rilwan, Colin Brown, Jumoke Fashola, Jessica Siân, Matthew Todd, Blythe Pepino, Dr Martin Shaw, Azul-Valerie Thomé, Naomi Wirthner, Ashby Martin, Tia Khodabocus, Dr Rupert Read, Mairéad Godber, Toni Spencer, Mina Andala, Paul-Ryan Carberry, Saba da Silva, Luzmira Zerpa, Farhana Yamin, and Sudha Bhuchar.

© 2019 Emma Thompson, Daniel Joyce, Tilly Lunken, Jenny Ngugi, Laline Paull, Ottilie. Neser, Kayden Van Veldhoven, Sally Jane Hole, Jem Bendell, Niamh McCarthy, Simon Jay, Agnes Homer, Cate Chapman, Ella Crowley, Liz Darcy Jones, Simon McBurney, Ollie Barnes, Jackie Morris, Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, Tabitha Ravula, Stuart Capstick, Nicola Espitalier Noel, Jessica Tagg art Rose, Elliotte Mitchell, Joanna Pocock, Daniela Torres Perez, Tyrone Huggins, Haydon Bushell, Rob Cowen, Christopher Nicholson, Isobel Bruning, Saibh Da Silva, Justin Roughley, Clare Crossman, Mary Benefiel, Jessica Siân, Lindsay Clarke, Veronika Schmidinger, Anna Hope, Blythe Pepino, Jo Baker, Katie Skiffington, Jay Griffiths, Ann Lowe, Polly Higgins, Claire Rousell, Nathan Bindoff, Emma Cameron, Evie Morrison Hoare, Tia Khodabocus, Tamara von Werthern, Bridget MacKenzie, Harriet Hulme, Dr Rupert Read, Steve Waters, Molly Wingate, Bob Langton, Eva Geraghty, Kerala Irwin, Mark Rylance, Mairéad Godber, Renato Redentor Constantino, Nivya Stephen, Luke Jackson, Toni Spencer, Ashby Martin, Dr Gail Bradbrook, Hannah Palmer, Marian Greaves, Mike Prior, Minnie Rahman, Tamara Ashley, Casper Taylor, Professor Julia Steinberger, Luca Chantler, Caroline Lucas MP, Megan. Murray-Pepper, Silvia Rodriguez, Lilli Hearsey, Trilby Rose, Eve Houston, Fiona Glen, Dulcie Deverell and Edi Rouse, Bishop Rosa dos Santos Bassotto, Farhana Yamin, Claire Rousell, Harkiran S. S. Dhingra.

Music © ‘I’m Going to Lift My People Up’ 2019 The Fire Choir, led by Blythe Pepino; ‘Turtle Dove’ 2019 Lee Ross; ‘One Love’ 2019 Jarvis Smith at the Rally for the Imagination, Youth Strike 4 Climate, 20th September, organised by Culture Declares, Music Declares, and Architects Declare; ‘Power’ 2019 The Fire Choir, led by Blythe Pepino.

©2019 Emma Thompson (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"The personal, the poetic, the dramatic, the salvo, the call to action: it’s all here, in this timely anthology." (Jini Reddy The Ecologist)

"[Letters to the Earth] is an amazing project, and I support it wholeheartedly...By healing the Earth, we heal ourselves. By loving it, we love ourselves. And by telling its stories, we tell our own and ensure that they will continue. All power to this amazing project." (Joanne Harris)

"An outpouring of grief, anger, hope, love and loss – a collection of letters penned by many thousands have been distilled into this powerful book. Names like Emma Thompson might act as a lure, but the true strength comes from the broad range of contributors. There are moments of real beauty in these pages." (BBC Wildlife)

Wonderful Collaborations of Writers!

This is a rich resource of poems and essays written and read by the author or actor. These poems and essays are a call to action to care for our beloved planet. Deeply moving 🌎