Richard Kerridge praises India’s nature writing and biodiversity

British nature writer and ecocritic Richard Kerridge has praised the depth of India’s nature writing tradition, noting its roots in ancient Sanskrit literature and its evolution into contemporary works. Speaking at the Corbett Literature Festival, Kerridge highlighted the importance of authors who connect personal observations with global ecological challenges.

Kerridge specifically commended Prerna Singh Bindra’s ‘The Vanishing: India’s Wildlife Crisis’, comparing it to Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’, and Yuvan Aves’ ‘Intertidal: A Coast and Marsh Diary’, which documents the tidal landscapes near Chennai. He noted that India’s biodiversity and abundance of wildlife, including tigers, elephants, and various bird species, offer a richness that contrasts with the more depleted natural habitats found in the United Kingdom.