Sunday, 15 March 2026

Mar 15: Nick Drake and Mackenzie Crook

In December 2024, I went to the Cambridge Union to see an event that had been arranged as part of the Cambridge Literary Festival. The city was full of Christmas shoppers. I hadn't been to the Cambridge Union before.

The event was a discussion with Mackenzie Crook.

Mackenzie has written and illustrated a short book - not a children's book - an interesting format really - imagining Nick Drake coming to his house, and modelled on a book he remembered from his childhood.


Drake signed to Island Records at twenty while still a student at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University. Marking the 50th anniversary of his death, the book is both a celebration of his memory and a heart-warming reminder of the impact a person can have on others, though they might not realise it.

There was lots of interest in the detectorists of course, as not everyone was familiar with the music of Nick Drake.

He was in conversation with Tom Gatti, the executive editor of the New Statesman magazine.

He mentioned a Q and A that Mackenzie had done for the New Statesman magazine in the latest issue.

During the talk, when asked about the detectorists, he mentioned a book that had been written by 'some university professors' - called 'Landscapes of Detectorists' which had a series of essays. 

The book is one I've got of course. 

It grew out of a session at a previous RGS-IBG Annual conference and I reviewed it here.

The book has also recently gone into its third reprint.

Here's a Nick Drake song for you.... the geographically-minded 'River Man'.


What's your favourite Nick Drake track? 

During the interview Mackenzie said that he had been working on a new show about a man who grows magical creatures in his shed. We now know what he was referring to: the wonderful Small Prophets.



Let me know your favourite Nick Drake song in the comments below....

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