STANLEY author, podcaster and local farmer Jade Miles will be among eight guest authors at this month's Mount Beauty Writers Festival, speaking about her first book: ‘Futuresteading’.

Ms Miles and her family run Black Barn Farm in Stanley, which is open between January and June for apple and berry picking experiences, school programs and upskilling workshops.

Released in September 2021, ‘Futuresteading: Living Like Tomorrow Matters’ reveals how today’s families can slow down, grow and eat healthier, reorganise the home and garden and reconnect with the environment.

“Humanity is facing an ecological crisis and in the Western world we also face a cultural crisis of apathy, greed and an addiction to endless growth,” Ms Miles said.

“‘Futuresteading’ is a way to arrest further calamity and rewrite our story through a great simplification; rebuild rituals, re-localise, reconnect to the natural world and build bridges of compromise to deeply connected communities.

“It may take multiple generations to ‘reskill’, but by sharing those skills and embracing a seasonal rhythm, we can begin to heal our world.

“The book is broken into six seasons: Awakening, Alive, High Heat, Harvest, The Turning and Deep Chill and within each season is a range of activities to 'nourish', 'feast', 'gather', 'build ritual', 'create' and 'grow'.

“It's practical, inspirational and beautiful.”

In 2022, ‘Futuresteading’ was turned into an audiobook, as well as translated into a German edition.

Ms Miles said she is looking forward to attending this year’s festival.

“This will be my first time at the Mount Beauty Writers Festival and I’m very much looking forward to speaking at an event so close to home,” she said.

“I enjoy the lyrical nature of writing and the ability to share, learn and teach via the conversations this book has allowed.

“I've presented at over 220 events since it was published and I've learnt something at every gathering.”

In 2020, Ms Miles launched her podcast, also titled ‘Futuresteading’, which discusses how listeners can live a more natural life connected to the earth and now features over 160 episodes.

Ms Miles’ second book ‘Huddle’ will be released in April next year, which is centred on utilising the futuresteading skills learned in the first book and building a stronger future for communities.

“After ‘Huddle’ is launched, I will tour it in Australia from April to June next year, then in the UK from July to August and then in the USA from September to October,” Ms Miles said.

“We are currently establishing our cider apples to allow for the creation of Black Barn Apple Cidery and we will begin the build of an on-farm accommodation in 2026.”

Ms Miles said she is currently reading ‘The Wild Edge of Sorrow’ by psychotherapist, Francis Weller.

• This year’s Mount Beauty Writers Festival will be held on Saturday, October 12 at Mountain Monk Brewers (1 Lakeside Avenue, Mount Beauty), from 9am to 5:30pm.

To book your tickets and for more information, visit: www.mountbeautywritersfestival.com