by Alicia Hayden
I, me, moor by Alicia Hayden is a new take at folklore. Alicia’s book follows Mimi and her family who live in North Yorkshire; her mother rocks her whilst been serenaded by skylarks, and Mimi grows up playing surrounded by peat and gorse in the garden. For Mimi, the sounds which bring her moor to life are coloured – purple swirls, golden loops – her life is intimately connected to that of the moor. So when Mimi moves away, what will happen to the moor in her wake?
Inspired by the Yorkshire Dales National Parks, the project was written and illustrated by Alicia Hayden and also includes music and lyrics by Sam Lightfoot-Lofus and Loris Scarpa, additional vocals by Alice Wolff-Whitehouse and foreword from author Tiffany Francis-Baker.
Thank you to National Lottery players
Alicia Hayden is a creative conservationist and wildlife artist from North Yorkshire, now based in Bristol. She is a multi-award-winning artist, photographer, filmmaker, and writer; sits on the British Trust for Ornithology’s Youth Advisory Panel, is a Daler-Rowney Artist, and has worked for organisations including BBC Studios, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, On the Edge, the University of Oxford, and many more.
Something Alicia felt quite strongly about when working up the ideas for this book was that it needed to have music.
Sam Lightfoot-Loftus is a musician from Yorkshire and plays and writes in the contemporary-folk band ‘Evolution of Fishermen’. Sam wrote four songs, one for each season, which he then worked on with fellow bandmate Loris Scarpa to bring them to life. Additional vocals were by Alice Wolff-Whitehouse.
“The project was inspired by my childhood as a young girl growing up in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The moors have always felt like a place to which I am tethered – a place where I can head to and feel truly free. This experience is something I realise is increasingly unusual for young people, so the aim of the story is to bring that experience to others. To allow them to live through Mimi’s eyes as she grows up, and hopefully encourage them to explore the wild spaces near them – be it through national parks, moorlands, or green urban spaces.
Furthermore, Mimi has synaesthesia, which causes her to hear sounds in colours and patterns. This is something I also experience – and as an artist, I find it an incredibly powerful tool. When illustrating, I wanted to use a stripped back palette, leaning into the distinct colours mentioned during the book. My hope was that by including a character with neurodivergent traits, this will connect with others – showcasing how we can harness what makes us different.”
“National Parks offer freedom – the chance to escape into nature. They allow me to connect with the natural world in a raw, rugged, wild way – which is very difficult to achieve in many other places.
They also have a huge nostalgic capacity for me; as someone who grew up only a few miles from the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and going into it every week – now living hundreds of miles from that specific national park, has shown me what a privilege it is to have access to nature in such a tangible and intimate capacity. It is something I miss immensely, now I live primarily in a city.”
Right now we have a once in a generation opportunity to change how National Parks operate. It’s essential that future generations are part of it.
Will you help us shape the future of National Parks?
Our National Parks New Perspectives project aims to give young people from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to influence and connect with decision makers to change the narratives on who National Parks are for and who has a say in their future.
As part of our New Perspectives project we have offered grants to young people to share their stories of National Parks
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund we provided storytelling grants, Future Leader Courses and opportunities for young people to join us as Ambassadors
