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Wainwright Prize 2025 shortlist: the beauty of nature writing

The Wainwright Prize 2025 shortlists are out! Let's celebrate nature writing and dive into the shortlisted books.

In honour of nature writer Alfred Wainwright, the Wainwright Prize showcases writing that reflects Wainwright's values. These powerful books celebrate nature and our environment, nurture respect for our planet and inform readers of the threats the Earth faces. 

We're proud partners of the Wainwright Prize, and are delighted that our Chief Executive, Craig Bennett, is a judge for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing. 

Let's explore the books on the shortlist - get ready to add to your reading list!

The Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing
 

  • Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
  • Nature's Genius by David Farrier
  • Red Pockets by Alice Mah
  • The Lie of the Land by Guy Shrubsole
  • What the Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales
  • A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts
  • Climate Injustice by Friederike Otto & translated by Sarah Pybus 
A pile of books shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing 2025. In order from top to bottom they are: What the Wild Sea Can Be by Helen Scales, The Lie of the Land by Guy Shrubsole, Red Pockets by Alice Mah, A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts, Nature's Genius by David Farrier, Climate Injustice by Friederike Otto and Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane

The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
 

  • The Possibility of Tenderness by Jason Allen-Paisant
  • Ingrained by Callum Robinson
  • Our Oaken Bones by Merlin Hanbury-Tenison
  • Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
  • The Accidental Garden by Richard Mabey
  • Intertidal by Yuvan Aves
  • Of Thorn & Briar by Paul Lamb
The Nature Writing 2025 shortlist books in a pile under a tree. In order from top to bottom are: The accidental garden by Richard Mabey, Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, The Possibility of Tenderness by Jason Allen-Paisant, Of Thorn & Briar by Paul Lamb, Intertidal by Yuvan Aves, Our Oaken Bones by Merlin Hanbury-Tenison and Ingrained by Callum Robinson

The Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Books
 

  • Swoop, Sing, Perch, Paddle words by John McEwan and illustrations by Carry Akroyd
  • The Perimeter by Quintin Lake
  • Trees in Winter by Richard Shimell
  • Feed the Planet by George Steinmetz with Joel K. Bourne Jr. & Michael Pollan
  • Homecoming by Melissa Harrison and Amanda Dilworth
  • Insectopolis by Peter Kuper
A pile of the books shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Books 2025. In order from top to bottom they are Homecoming by Melissa Harrison, Swoop Sing Perch Paddle by Carry Ackroyd and John McEwan, Trees in Winter by Richard Shimell, The Perimeter by Quintin Lake, Insectopolis by Peter Kuper and Feed the Planet by George Steinmetz

The Children's Wainwright Prize for Fiction
 

  • Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold and illustrated by Levi Pinfold
  • Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto
  • Wildlands by Brogen Murphy
  • Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julie Green and illustrated by Pam Smy
  • Ghostlines by Katya Balen
  • Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit and illustrated by David Dean
A pile of books shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Children's Fiction 2025, surrounded by long grass. In order from top to bottom the books are: Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold, Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julia Green, Ghostlines by Katya Balen, Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit, Wildlands by Brogen Murphy and Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto

The Children's Wainwright Prize for Non-Fiction
 

  • National Trust: Look What I Found by the River by Moira Butterfield and illustrated by Jesús Verona
  • Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare and illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti
  • Wildlife in the Balance by Dr Sharon Wismer and illustrated by Terri Po
  • Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney and illustrated by William Grill
  • Hamza's Wild World by Hamza Yassin and illustrated by Louise Forshaw
  • MEGA by Jules Howard and illustrated by Gavin Scott
A pile of books shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Children's Non-Fiction 2025 sit on an outside table. In order from top to bottom the books are: Hamza's Wild World by Hamza Yassin, Look What I Found by the River, Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney and William Grill, Wildlife in the Balance by Dr Sharon Wismer and Terri Po, Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare and Nina Chakrabarti and MEGA by Jules Howard and Gavin Scott

The Children's Wainwright Prize for Picture Books
 

  • Herd by Stephen Hogtun
  • Leave the Trees Please by Benjamin Zephaniah and illustrated by Melissa Castrillon
  • Bothered by Bugs by Emily Gravett
  • Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield and illustrated by Hoang Giang
  • Frog by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Daniel Egnéus
  • The Wild by Yuval Zommer
  • The World to Come by Robert Macfarlane and Johnny Flynn, illustrated by Emily Sutton
Books propped up against one another, on grass. In order from left to right they are: Herd by Stephen Hogtun, Leave the Trees Please by Benjamin Zephaniah, The Wild by Yuval Zommer, Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield, The World to Come by Robert Macfarlane and Johnny Flynn, Bothered by Bugs by Emily Gravett and Frog by Isabel Thomas

The winners of the Wainwright Prizes will be announced on Wednesday 10th September. 

Read more about the Shortlist

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