Today, nearly one in four people are Disabled in the UK. Public rights of way are blocked in 32,000 places across England and Wales. My Body is a Meadow writes into this landscape. Passionate and political, it delivers a galvanising call for us to rethink how we live among nature and each other. Lyrical and personal, Bethany Handley invites readers to wheel alongside her as she explores ableism, climate justice and what nature means to her.
Out 7th May 2026
Upcoming release
A perspective shifting journey across Britain exploring our right to access nature.
My Body is a Meadow:
Finding Freedom in the Outdoors
"Handley is a natural storyteller whose writing bursts with vitality and beauty"
- Jack Cornish, author of The Lost Paths and director of England at the Ramblers
"This book shows how our treatment of disability mirrors our treatment of nature"
- Katherine May, author of Wintering, Enchantment and The Electricity of Every Living Thing
"An important, perspective shifting book"
- James Macdonald Lockhart, author of Raptor and Wild Air
"A stunning exploration of longing for freedom, finding a home in your body and walking your own path in life"
- Pippa Stacey, content creator and author of How To Do Life With A Chronic Illness
"A painfully honest assessment of how the damage done to Disabled people mirrors that being done to the environment"
- Maria Kett, associate professor in Humanitarianism and Disability at University College London
"Moves through laughter, grief and joy and makes it resoundingly clear that access to the outdoors must mean access for all"
- Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean: A Beachcomber’s Search for a Magical Charm
Reviews
Bethany Handley is an award-winning writer, poet and disability activist from South Wales. Her writing explores access to nature, ableism and the landscapes that shape her - weaving creativity with activism. She is the author of My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors (Headline, 2026), Cling Film (Seren, 2025) and co-editor of Beyond / Tu Hwnt (Lucent Dreaming, 2025), the first bilingual anthology of Welsh Deaf and Disabled writers.
Alongside her literary work, Bethany advises organisations and landowners on making the outdoors more accessible. She is also an ambassador for the Wales Coast Path, Ramblers Cymru and Country Living’s Access for All campaign, where she champions equality in nature.
Bethany Handley is a writer, poet and disability activist campaigning for access to nature for all.
Creativity + Activism
