What’s Hidden Beneath Cornwall? New Book Digs Into the Secrets of the Earth

Award-winning writer launches exploration of minerals, metals and the human story at Truro event

A new book that journeys deep into humanity’s complex relationship with the earth’s treasures was launched earlier this month in Truro, with the support of mineral exploration company Cornish Lithium.

Book launch held at transformed museum in Truro

The launch of Under a Metal Sky: A Journey Through Minerals, Greed and Wonder by award-winning author Philip Marsden took place at the Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, against the backdrop of its newly-transformed mineral gallery. The event was sponsored by Cornish Lithium, a company pioneering the environmentally-responsible extraction of lithium in Cornwall.

Exploring our history through minerals

In his latest work, Philip traces how minerals and metals have shaped humanity – from the earliest use of ochre for self-expression to the role of lithium in fuelling the digital age. The book examines the dazzling achievements and darker consequences of mineral extraction, presenting a compelling look at European history and our evolving relationship with the natural world.

“This new book is all about discovery and revelation, and how the treasures beneath our feet have transformed us as a species,” said Philip, speaking at the launch. “So much of our thinking about the world has been defined by our use and discovery of metals, and it is still going on.”

Cornwall at the heart of the story

Under a Metal Sky begins and ends in Philip’s home county of Cornwall, one of the world’s great geological hotspots. The book includes a chapter on lithium and two visits to Cornish Lithium’s Geothermal Waters Pilot Plant at United Downs, near Redruth.

“Under a Metal Sky includes a chapter on lithium and features two visits to our Lithium in Geothermal Waters Pilot Plant at United Downs, near Redruth, so we were delighted to sponsor the launch of Philip’s amazing book, which is very much centred in Cornwall,” said Cornish Lithium’s ESG & Sustainability Manager, Lucy Crane.

From Cornwall to Europe’s hidden riches

As the book travels east from Cornwall into Europe, Philip explores a range of powerful materials – from iron-rich meteorites and radium to the gold-bearing mountains of Georgia. Along the way, he uncovers the stories of scientific, mystical and ecological discovery, and the lives of figures like Goethe, William Blake and Marie Curie.

“What we have discovered under the earth has filled us with wonder but has also made us greedy – the twin effects of discovery – but we have to use it responsibly and celebrate companies like Cornish Lithium and the progress they are making to extract lithium from the granite that lies deep beneath Cornwall in an environmentally-responsible way,” added Philip.

To find out more about the work of Cornish Lithium, visit cornishlithium.com. Click here to find the book on Amazon.