Tree planting celebrates the life of 'literary icon' Ion Trewin

The life and work of Ion Trewin, literary director of the Booker Prize Foundation, was celebrated last weekend with a ceremonial tree planting at the Woodland Trust’s Reffley Wood in King’s Lynn.

Trewin, whose "love of trees" led to a partnership between the Man Booker Prize and the Woodland Trust, and whose family has lived in King's Lynn for many years, passed away in April 2015, aged 71, following an untreatable cancer diagnosis in October 2014. 

Trewin, formerly literary editor of The Times, worked with prominant authors, including Michael Palin, Julian Fellowes and Alan Clark, and served as editor-in-chief for publishers Weidenfeld & Nicolson, a position he held until his retirement in 2006. 

His widow, Sue Trewin, daughter and three of his grandchildren, were present at the ceremony on Saturday (5th March) to plant five oak trees.

Every year since 2009, the Woodland Trust has planted the ‘Booker Dozen’, 13 trees, one for each of the longlisted books chosen for the Man Booker Prize as a "symbolic gesture" to compensate for the trees felled to produce the 100+ books submitted for the prize each year. Planting locations have included a number of different Trust woods in Essex, Hertfordshire and Leicestershire.

Ion Trewin (back centre) at the 2014 tree planting along with the 2014 judges: Robert Macfarlane, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Natalie Haynes, Martha Kearney and Stuart Kelly

Sue Trewin said: “I am delighted that the Woodland Trust has honoured Ion in this way, and their choice of tree is excellent as Ion was strong and loved Oak trees.”

Laura Judson of the Woodland Trust added: “Tree planting every year with the Man Booker Judges as their last ‘official’ duty has always been a pleasure and great fun.

“Without fail every year I looked forward to seeing Ion and hearing his thoughts on the judging process, his excitement for the next year, which was always palpable, and the quiet satisfaction we all got by planting our significant Man Booker trees and walking through new planted trees and our bluebell filled ancient woodlands.”