Writersfest: Into (and Out of) the Wild
What can trees teach us about living? And what does a zoo reveal about our responsibilities to animals? At Into (and Out of) the Wild, Kingston WritersFest brings together authors Robert Moor and Andrew Westoll for a conversation about our complicated relationship with the natural world.
Moor introduces In Trees, a witty exploration of trees and the lessons we might draw from them. Trees are part of our everyday surroundings, yet it is easy to pass them without looking closely. Moor invites readers to pause, pay attention and consider what these familiar living things can reveal about the way we inhabit the world. Environmental writer Bill McKibben has praised In Trees as a “classic upon publication.”
Westoll turns the conversation toward animals in Born to be Wild. A winner of the Charles Taylor Prize, he examines the modern zoo at a time when extinction threatens many species. His book confronts questions that resist simple answers: What can zoos do for conservation, and what do animals lose when their lives are shaped by captivity? How should people weigh the practical challenges against their ethical responsibilities?
Although one book begins with trees and the other with zoos, both ask us to reconsider our place in nature. Their different perspectives offer an opportunity to think beyond a simple division between “the wild” and the human world. We live among other species, make decisions that affect them and depend on environments we do not always understand.
Joined by Gregory McCormick, Moor and Westoll will discuss the ideas behind their books and the questions that arise when curiosity meets responsibility. This afternoon event will appeal to readers of nature writing, animal lovers and anyone interested in conservation, ecology or the stories we tell about the living world.
Join Kingston WritersFest for a thoughtful journey into—and out of—the wild. You may leave looking at the trees along your street, and the creatures with whom we share the planet, a little differently.
Kingston WritersFest thanks Doriana Bisegna, Author Patron of Robert Moor, and Justin Connidis and Julia McArthur of the McArthur Connidis Arts Fund, Author Patrons of Andrew Westoll.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 3:30–5:00 p.m.
Venue: Limestone C, Kingston Marriott, 285 King Street East, Kingston
Featuring: Robert Moor and Andrew Westoll, with Gregory McCormick
Category: Arts & Theatre
Tickets: Kingston WritersFest event page
