Reflecting a world in crisis but that also celebrates the wonder of nature and offers much-needed hope and optimism for our planet's future
Inaugural Children’s Nature and Conservation Prize shortlist includes 2020 Nature Writing Prize winner, Dara McAnulty; bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave; and 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal winner, Katya Balen.
The 2022 JAMES CROPPER WAINWRIGHT PRIZE today, Thursday 28th July, announced their three shortlists, including the inaugural Children’s Writing on Nature and Conservation Prize.
Named after much-loved nature writer Alfred Wainwright, the aim of the Prize is to inspire everyone to connect with nature and embrace the outdoors. This year’s shortlisted books reflect the astonishing range and depth of nature writing, with titles that confront difficult, yet vitally important issues around climate change, food supplies and the decline of insects, stressing urgency of action whilst offering hope for the future; celebrating the wonder of life everywhere – from our back gardens to the Arctic Circle; and illuminating the healing power of nature through stories of personal connection and discovery.
Two previous winners feature on this year’s shortlists. Teenage naturalist, Dara McAnulty, winner of the 2020 Nature Writing Prize, is shortlisted for the Children’s Prize for Wild Child: A Journey Through Nature, his multi-sensory guide to exploring the nature on your doorstep. Amy Liptrot, whose debut The Outrun won the 2016 Nature Writing Prize, is shortlisted again for The Instant, her memoir about leaving behind the quiet isolation of the Orkneys for new experiences in Berlin.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday 7th September at a ceremony at The London Wetland Centre.
