WBN United Artists invited responses to The Overstory by Richard Powers for an exhibition and mail art swap at Bower Ashton Library, Bristol, UK. We received over 200 works by artists from countries around the world including: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA.

Responses to the book developed our overarching theme – to look after our environment, listen to it and take care of it. Artists works have been created in praise of particular trees or forests and to campaigners and activists who work to protect them and engage others with caring for the environment. Many recalled their experiences of standing with trees and experiencing the peace of nature, being grateful for the restful space they provide.

Contributors celebrated the bounties received from trees as fruit bearers: Apple, Blackthorn, Chestnut and Quince. Native species are celebrated from Aotearoa and Wollemia trees in New Zealand to Ash trees in the UK, a Trembling Aspen near Banff, Alberta; a Tulip Poplar in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; a Mimosa tree in Winchester, UK. Works were made in response to Pine Trees ancient and new, Oak and Maple trees in New York state and across England and Wales, an ancient Ash tree in Yorkshire and Oak Tree in Greenwich Park, portraits of trees in Victoria Park, London, Cornish Magnolias announcing the coming of Spring, Nahua and Purépecha traditions, as well as the trees of their places of origin in Mexican states such as Guerrero, Guanajuato, and Michoacán in Mexico.

National parks, woods and forests that have offered shelter and space included: Highgate Woods and Wimbledon common in London; Kensington Gardens in Philadelphia, USA; Bingley valley in West Yorkshire; the Langdale valley, Cumbria; New South Wales, Australia; Speyside and Cairngorms National Park, Scotland; the Amazon rainforest, Brazil; the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont, USA; the Lucombe Oak tree in Widey Woods, Plymouth UK; the Haagse Bos, Netherlands (a zine printed by Ton Martens on the Korrex proof press at the Huis van het Boek).

There are artworks made in response to poetry by António Ramos Rosa, Dorothy Quick, Luisa Marta Córica, Rainer Maria Rilke; drawings created with handmade walnut and eucalyptus bark inks, natural dyes, lumen prints, mezzotints, collages, embroideries, paper cuts, calligrams, screenprints, Suminagashi, cyanotypes, letterpress, Harakeke paper weaving…

Bristol Grammar School Year 9 pupils also joined us and made a series of artworks guided by their tutor Brie Barnacle. Artists, staff and students of the Visual Arts Bachelor’s Degree programme at the Facultad Popular de Bellas Artes, Bellas Artes, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, made a collaborative portfolio of works, led by Ioulia Akhmadeeva (who co-produced our WBN keepsake in 2023 with Sylee Gore).

Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison (Australia), created Imagined (field notes) a zine for World Book Night 2025: “a single-sided A4 sized celebration of trees in the form of a zine that can be printed, folded, and cut upon receipt, and read. When printed and folded, the zine is 10.5 (h) by 7.5 cm (w), though, that said, it needs to open to read the beneath the canopy text.” You can download a copy of the pdf here.

For more information about Imagined (field notes) or to order a physical copy, visit Gracia & Louise’s website.

Nancy Campbell has also written “Underground”, a short story about a handkerchief tree. A handwritten extract from it is part of the exhibition display, you can read the full text on her substack.

Watch our WBN United Artists video made for World Book Night, with music by Si Butler & Simon Smith here.

All works are on display in the main gallery space at Bower Ashton Library from 3rd April – 30th July 2025, come along and visit in person or follow Linda Parr on Instagram for the online postings of each work received. WBN 2025 is organised by Sarah Bodman and Linda Parr, with input from Nancy Campbell and Rachel Marsh who is also printing the 2025 keepsake for contributors. Many thanks to MA students Hannah Kelly, Leah Risby and Nick Whimster for helping with the install, and to Marian Kilpatrick for overseeing the install team.

This exhibition is open to the public Monday – Friday 9am-5pm. No booking needed. The library is on the first floor of B block. Public parking on meters on main road or at Ashton Court.

For more information on Bower Ashton Library, visitor access and campus map, see the library website.

UWE Bristol, City Campus at Bower Ashton, Kennel Lodge Road, Bristol BS3 2JT.