Since 2015 I have worked as a writer and editor, exploring the contemporary and traditional uses of plants through the related topics of foraging, herbal medicine, cocktails, gardening and botany. Below is a list of my work to date.

I am available for commissions, email: jason [at] foragewildfood.com

Books

The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants. Frances Lincoln & Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Feb 2017. Co-author with Prof. Monique Simmonds and Dr Melanie-Jayne Howes.

Essay “The History of Cocktail Bitters” in Kew’s Teas, Tonics and Tipples. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2015. Available to read on my blog.

Articles

Trade in threatened medicinal plants – why plant names matter. Kew Science Blog. 27 Sep 2016.

John Lindsay and The Elegancies of Jamaica – First steps in a BSHS fellowship. BSHS blog. 11 Oct 2018.

Medicinal plants in the ‘Elegancies of Jamaica’, an 18th century manuscript. Herbal histroy Research Network Blog. 6 Feb 2019.

Academic Articles

Irving, JTW, 2018, Chapters – “Plant names, classification and colonialism” and “Botanic Gardens, Plant Collecting and Empire” in Orlow, U and Sheikh, S (Eds), Theatrum Botanicum. Sternberg Press (Berlin/New York). More info

Dauncey, E.A., Irving, J.T.W. and Allkin, R., 2019. A review of issues of nomenclature and taxonomy of Hypericum perforatum L. and Kew’s Medicinal Plant Names Services. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 71(1), pp.4-14.

EA Dauncey, J Irving, R Allkin, N Robinson, “Common mistakes when using plant names and how to avoid them”, European Journal of Integrative Medicine 8 (5), 597-601, 2016.

JTW Irving, EA Dauncey, “Potential Problems when using Plant Names in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Solutions Offered by Kew’s Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS)”, The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine Journal 13 (1), 22-26, 2016.

Complete list and full text PDFs available here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jason_Irving

Editorial Experience

Botanical consultant for The Edible City: A Year of Wild Food by John Rensten (Pan Macmillan, Sep 2016).

I worked with the illustrator to ensure botanical accuracy of 60 hand drawn plant illustrations. I also advised on identification descriptions and provided an up to date list of Latin scientific names for all plants in the book.

Scientific reviewer for the book Handmade Apothecary by Kim Walker and Vicky Chown (Kyle Cathie, forthcoming April 2017).

Copy editing and thorough review of book to double check accurate botany, chemistry and safety.

Work at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

I worked for 4 years on the project Medicinal Plant Names Services. During this time I was copy editor and co-author for conference abstracts, scientific articles, grant applications and blogs, focusing on the use of plant names in herbal medicine and health regulation. I also provided editorial advice on the scientific accuracy of articles about medicinal plants in Kew Magazine.