# Event Details - **Event Name**: Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 07:30 pm - **Event Description**: Conversations exploring seaweed as both a biological material and a medium for reflecting on environmental, social, and feminist issuesAbout this EventDiscover the wonder of marine life seen up close in these joyous and sparkling essays.In this session, we will discuss ‘Looking Down at the Stars’ by Christina Riley (The Nature Library).In 2022, Christina Riley became an ‘underwater artist in residence’ at the Argyll Coast Hope Spot – a place of incredible natural beauty in Scotland also crucial for the health of the world’s oceans. She spent days submerged alongside marine life, before resurfacing to reflect, recreate and recount what she had seen – and the feelings of love, hope and responsibility her experience had evoked in her.The resulting essays, collected in this stunning volume, swim through the kaleidoscope of marine life she found there, from starfish to seagrass to the water itself. What shines through all of them is a sense of wonder that is also a call to action. Looking Down at the Stars asks: how can we harness our feelings of awe at the natural world in order to take better care of it?Christina Riley’s lyrical prose is the perfect guide to this unfamiliar underwater world, brimming with surprises, sunlight and sea stars.About the AuthorChristina Riley was born in Florida and grew up in Ayrshire on Scotland’s west coast, where she now resides. With a focus on coastal waters, her work draws attention to small details — a particular species, object or place — to shift perspectives and encourage new ways of seeing and experiencing our surroundings, natural and otherwise. Longlisted for Canongate’s Nan Shepherd Prize for Nature Writing, her first photobook, The Beach Today, was published by Guillemot Press in 2021. In 2019 she started The Nature Library, a travelling library exploring the role of literature in times of climate crisis, which opened a long-term premises in 2024.About Treasures of the DeepA three-month pilot programme that takes the St Andrews Botanic Garden’s algal collection as its anchor and point of departure. Through a series of lunchtime talks, workshops, and an exhibition, we invite our audiences, local and international artists, writers, academics and organisations to explore seaweed as both a biological material and a medium for reflecting on broader environmental, social, and feminist issues. Together, we will examine how algal collections can inspire new ways of thinking, providing insights into our past, present, and future relationships with the natural world.About the Reading GroupIn this reading group, we’ll journey through texts that unearth narratives which encourage us to question, reflect, and reimagine what might come after the end. In shared conversation, we’ll ask what it means to live through moments of profound change, and how literature can equip us to witness and engage with these shifts.Whether you are a seasoned reader of ecocritical literature, or someone simply interested in the intersection of the written word and the natural world, this group encourages diverse perspectives. We’ll be reading the chosen texts beforehand, and coming together to discuss them in a relaxed, open-minded atmosphere.No matter your familiarity with the material, we encourage everyone to share their thoughts, and questions as we explore the themes together. As we go along, we’ll adapt our discussions to the group’s interests and pace, allowing room for both joint exploration and personal reflection.Essential Information:Minimum age 18. Please bring your own reading/writing materials.The entrance fee covers access to the garden, as well as tea, coffee, shortbread, and water. Free RSVP for those with exisiting admission tickets for this date, students and Friends Members.As this is an out of hours event, please meet at the main gate to the Garden at 6pm. If you are running late, please notify Anne Daffertshofer via adaffertshoferstandrewsbotanic.org (Subject line: late/book club). - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, workshops, exhibitions, health-wellness - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 7.21, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: St Andrews - **state**: SC - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: St Andrews Botanic Garden - **lat**: 56.3397753 - **long**: -2.7967214 - **full address**: St Andrews Botanic Garden, Canongate, St Andrews, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/398ab41b3940a0a372b865d66b501ba2f6a8075b7b7935f461415bf9efdf35a4-rimg-w1200-h600-dca7a293-gmir.jpg?v=1760478426 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars being held? - **A:** Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars takes place on Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 at 07:30 pm at St Andrews Botanic Garden, Canongate, St Andrews, United Kingdom. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars? - **A:** Tickets for Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars are priced at GBP 7 per person. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityMembers & Students RSVPFreeAvailableGeneral AdmissionGBP 7 + GBP 1 feeAvailableConcession AdmissionGBP 6 + GBP 1 feeAvailable - **Q**: Who is organizing Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars? - **A:** Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars is organized by St Andrews Botanic Garden. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars is ideal for learners, working professionals, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in St Andrews, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Treasures of the Deep Book Club - Looking Down at the Stars", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/398ab41b3940a0a372b865d66b501ba2f6a8075b7b7935f461415bf9efdf35a4-rimg-w1200-h600-dca7a293-gmir.jpg?v=1760478426", "startDate": "2026-02-26", "endDate": "2026-02-26", "url": "https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "St Andrews Botanic Garden", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Canongate", "postalCode": "KY168RT", "addressLocality": "St Andrews", "addressRegion": "SC", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "56.3397753", "longitude": "-2.7967214" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Conversations exploring seaweed as both a biological material and a medium for reflecting on environmental, social, and feminist issues", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "2026-02-26", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "7.21", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789", "price": 0, "name": "Members & Students RSVP" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789", "price": "7.21", "name": "General Admission" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/st-andrews/treasures-of-the-deep-book-club-looking-down-at-the-stars/100001735038810789", "price": "6.13", "name": "Concession Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "St Andrews Botanic Garden", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/st-andrews-botanic-garden/17825285", "description": "We are an 18 acre garden with around 8000 plant species in our collection. Our events programme aims to engage people with the natural world, with a particular focus on conservation and urban ecology. " } ] } ] ```