Gaia swoops for Flock Together founders in 36-hour pre-empt

Octopus imprint Gaia has signed a two-book deal with Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera, co-founders of Flock Together, the UK’s first birdwatching club for people of colour, in a 36-hour pre-empt.

Natalie Bradley, senior commissioning editor, acquired world all language rights from Rory Clarke at Andrew Nurnberg Associates. The first book, Outsiders, is a memoir and manifesto about making nature a safe and inviting space for everyone. It will publish on 2nd June 2022 in hardback, e-book and audio.

Started in summer 2020 as the strictest lockdown restrictions in London were beginning to ease, Flock Together was aimed at combating the underrepresentation of people of colour in nature. It has quickly become a highlight for its members, many of whom were completely new to the hobby. Their debut walk was attended by 15 people but today they are oversubscribed and struggling to keep up with the demand. Flock Together now has groups launching across the UK, with chapters also opening in Tokyo, Toronto and New York.

The publisher said: “Their first book, Outsiders, will focus on the six pillars at the heart of the collective: the benefits of nature; community; challenging preconceptions; ecological benefits and conservation; creative mentorship; and mental health support. Crossing the genres of memoir, nature writing, social commentary and wellness, this book is about the power of nature to bring us closer together, empower us as a collective and build a better society for all.”

Bradley commented: “I am amazed by what Ollie and Nadeem have achieved with Flock Together: the community they’ve built, their growing reach across the UK and beyond, and the widespread media support. They are true innovators and excitement is building throughout Octopus for their debut. Outsiders is an ambitious book that will challenge misconceptions around nature – who belongs there and who it belongs to – and inspire even the biggest nature-phobe to embrace all it has to offer.”

Olanipekun, the founder of award-winning creative agency Futurimpose, said: “The last two years have been such a roller-coaster of a journey with the overwhelming response we've had to Flock Together. This book is a great opportunity to share what led us to creating such a movement and also share our mission with the world. A mission we hope everyone who has ever felt like an outsider can relate to.”

Perera, a sports coach, activist and self-taught birdwatcher of 13 years, added: “Flock Together has been a whole experience from the jump. It has been an honour to see just how many people have joined us on our trails over the past two years and the multitude of other things we've managed to achieve. We have been able to hear the stories of our community and can now share everything we've learned in this book.”