Authored by Hannah Bourne-Taylor, 2026, Elliot & Thompson, ISBN 978-1-78396-870-1, £10.99

I got this book for a bit of light reading for my holiday after seeing the author featured on Clarkson’s Farm. I didn’t expect to be sitting on a beach close to tears and mad with rage. I’m sure like me you’ve signed one of those UK Government Petitions that if you get 100,000 signatures will be considered for debate. But have you ever thought about the amount of work and drive it takes to hit this number and the level of commitment and dedication needed to carry the cause forwards?

I had gone on holiday to Cardigan Bay to see the dolphins and was so side tracked looking for a glimpse of a dorsal fin that I had totally missed the Sand Martin colony living in the cliffs at the back of the beach. This is a good analogy for this book. We are so focused on insulating our homes that we have forgotten we share them with feathered friends. Without access to nooks and crannies the cavity nesting swifts have nowhere to call home. Common swift populations have declined by 58% since 1995 and were added to the UK Red List for birds in December 2021. The swifts slide towards extinction triggered the author into action. This book tells the story of Hannah’s battle to get ‘swift bricks’ mandated into UK law so that every new house has a minimum of one swift brick included within its walls. Hannah launched her government petition with “The Feather Speech” on 5 November 2022, which was delivered almost naked at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. Chapter 6 “The Trolls” relays the backlash she got from keyboard warriors for this approach, and I thought she was very brave to lean into this negative narrative to show it for what it is. Hannah’s story gives a unique insight into political shenanigans, how amendments do or do not come into law, the legislation relating to housing, the technicalities of building regulations, the key players that are advocating them, and the personal toll that championing a cause takes. It has more plot twists than a Hollywood block buster.

One of Hannah’s key messages is that we all have a role to play in the future survival of the swift. As Hannah says: “we are the ones that hold the power… There are 650 MPs and 67 million of us” (pages 273-274). The closing section of the book contains some excellent information and resources on how you can join the fight to save the swift. This is a book that EVERYONE needs to read, particularly those involved in housing developments and renovations. I thoroughly recommend it. Read this book and weep (literally).

This review was written by Dr Sarah L. Taylor