A Valedictory Bestiary

This anthology of eleven stirring tales, composed in melodic rhyming couplets, sweeps readers into a realm where myth intertwines with romance across diverse landscapes: from the Peruvian Amazon to the plains of Africa, the vastness of the Pacific to the spiritual heights of Tibet. Each narrative celebrates the wild, noble beasts that champion the cause of their land: wolves liberating Athens, pumas safeguarding the Amazon, bears emancipating prisoners in wartime Germany, and more. These creatures not only symbolize the spirit of their homelands but also the myths and history embedded within, now imperilled by relentless modernization.

Scott’s work weaves a poetic tapestry reminiscent of Coleridge’s ‘Ancient Mariner,’ Kipling’s ‘Just So Stories,’ and the adventurous spirit of Patrick Leigh Fermor, all while channelling Mary Pope Osborne’s fascination with myth. It’s a literary mosaic, unparalleled in ambition, which speaks eloquently to the urgency of preserving our world’s cultural and ecological richness. The stories, though they grapple with themes of loss and environmental decay, also ignite hope for spiritual rebirth and the triumph of nature’s indomitable heart.

During his career as an entrepreneur, M. Coleridge Scott has enjoyed a lifetime travelling the world, spending long periods of time in South America, Indonesia, Australia, America, India and Europe. His interest in the sense of place, genius loci, indigenous myth and local ecology is reflected in this collection of stories that have emerged from decades of first-hand experience of how quickly these delicate cultures and ecosystems are unravelling. His penchant for the poetic form was first formally learnt, then practised. He received a first class degree in English Literature from Oxford University and then completed further studies at both Cambridge and Harvard Universities.