RGS-Singapore presents: “An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles: Alfred Russel Wallace and Ali in Southeast Asia” featuring writer and conservationist Paul Spencer Sochaczewski!
Join us on a journey back in time to the mid-19th Century as Paul retraces the footsteps of renowned Victorian-era naturalist and anthropologist Alfred Russel Wallace across the Malay Archipelago during the latter’s eight-year (1854-1862) exploration of the region. While performing extensive geographical fieldwork and research, Wallace had collected 125,660 individual specimens of “natural productions,” including 900 new species of beetles, 212 new species of birds, and, remarkably, 200 new species of ants. He amplified the study of biogeography, wrote sensitively about indigenous cultures, and independently of Charles Darwin, developed a theory of evolution by natural selection. Paul’s fully illustrated presentation will highlight some of Wallace’s achievements, with a focus on his collections in Singapore, and discuss the mystery of Ali, Wallace’s “faithful companion” without whom Wallace would probably not have been as successful as he was.
The presentation is based on two of Paul Sochaczewski’s books: ““Look Here, Sir, What a Curious Bird” — Searching for Ali, Alfred Russel Wallace’s Faithful Companion” and “An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles — Campfire Conversations with Alfred Russel Wallace on People and Nature, Based on Common Travel in the Malay Archipelago, the Land of the Orangutan, and the Bird of Paradise”.
Please sign up for this talk here: https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/paul-spencer-sochaczewski-an-inordinate-fondness-for-beetles-tickets-942882325417
About the speaker:
Paul Spencer Sochaczewski has written extensively about Alfred Russel Wallace, including the personal travel books "An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles" and “Look Here, Sir, What a Curious Bird.” Paul worked for 15 years with WWF International, based in Switzerland, where he was director of international campaigns and head of the Faith and Environment Program. He has lived in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand for many years. He is the author of 21 books and more than 600 by-lined articles for publications including the RGS-IBG’s Geographical Magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, and Travel and Leisure. Paul is a Fellow of the RGS-IBG and has lectured many times on various subjects for the Society’s members in Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UK.
Event Details:
Date & Time: 29 August 2024 (Thursday), 7.30pm to 8.30pm (Doors open at 7pm)
Venue: The British Club Singapore, 73 Bukit Tinggi Road, Singapore 289761