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Legacy of broadcaster and naturalist will live on in those he inspired.
New Wainwright Prize shortlist showcases outstanding nature writers
As a proud partner of the Wainwright Prize, we're delighted to reveal this year's nominees.
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From children's non-fiction to illustrative books, the Wainwright Prize celebrates exceptional nature and conservation writing across six unique categories. As a proud partner of the Prize, we're thrilled to share the 2026 shortlist and introduce the incredible authors and works that it recognises.
The Wainwright Prize is named for renowned author, illustrator and fell-walker Alfred Wainwright. The awards honour writing that values the natural world, nurtures respect for the planet and informs readers of the threats it currently faces.
RSPB-linked authors among this year's contenders
We’re delighted that several authors with close ties to the RSPB are featured on this year's shortlist. Among them are RSPB Ambassador Lucy Lapwing, Nicola Chester, who writes a regular column for our members' magazine, and Dara McAnulty, who became the youngest-ever recipient of the prestigious RSPB Medal in 2019, aged just 15.
The 2026 shortlist
You can buy any of the shortlisted titles using the links below. If you make a purchase, the RSPB will receive a small donation at no extra cost to you, helping to support our work for nature.
The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
- Ancient: Reviving the Woods That Made Britain by Luke Barley
- Ghosts of the Farm: Two Women's Journeys Through Time, Land and Community by Nicola Chester
- Craftland by James Fox
- Love Is A Toad by Lucy Lapwing
- The Genius of Trees by Harriet Rix
- Stone Lands by Fiona Robertson, illustrated by Philip Harris
- The Cuckoo's Lea by Michael J Warren
The Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing
- The Savage Landscape by Cal Flyn
- Every Last Fish: What Fish Do for Us and What We Do to Them by Rose George
- Eat the Planet Well: How to Fix Our Toxic Food System – One Meal at a Time by Dave Goulson
- Neurodivergent, by Nature by Joe Harkness
- Green Crime: Inside the Minds of the People Destroying the Planet, and How to Stop Them by Dr Julia Shaw
- When the Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard
- The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet by Scott Weidensaul
The Wainwright Prize for Illustrative Books
- Freshwater: The View from Above and the Life Below by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Bill François
- Waterlands: The Coastal Areas of West Sussex and Hampshire Borders by David Gilbey, illustrated by Molly Martin with original photography by Roo Lewis
- Wild Folk: Tales from the Stones by Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott
- The Book of Birds by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane
- Funga Obscura: Photo Journeys Among Fungi by Alison Pouliot
- In Botanical Time: The Extraordinary Lifespans of the World's Oldest Living Plants by Christopher Woods
The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Fiction
- The Waters and the Wild by Eilish Fisher, illustrated by David Rooney
- The Green Kingdom by Cornelia Funke and Tammi Hartung, illustrated by Melissa Castrillón
- The Lone Husky by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold
- Swanfall by Sophie Kirtley
- The Adventures of Portly the Otter: Untold Tales From the Wind in the Willows by MG Leonard, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
- The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis
- Birdlands by Anthony McGowan, illustrated by Keith Robinson
- Tree Thing by Piers Torday, illustrated by Matthew Taylor Wilson
The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Non-Fiction
- An Anthology of Remarkable Bugs by Jess French
- Letters From Wonderland by Josie George, illustrated by Becky Thorns
- Otherlands: An Illustrated Journey Through Earth's Lost Worlds by Thomas Halliday, illustrated by Gavin Scott
- Shapes of Nature by Ben Hoare
- Choose Your Own Evolution by Jules Howard, illustrated by Gordy Wright
- A Wild Child's Guide to Nature at Night by Dara McAnulty, illustrated by Barry Falls
- The Cave Explorer by Kate Winter
The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Picture Books
- A River Running Through You by Amy-Jane Beer, illustrated by Elin Manon
- The Great Bear by Annie Booker
- Whale Song by Nicola Davies and Britta Teckentrup
- The Sun Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater
- Firefly by Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker
- The Summer Puppy by Jackie Morris and Cathy Fisher
- Isla and the Sky by Greg Stobbs
- The Whale That Sings in the Deep by Yuval Zommer
The results will be announced on 17 September 2026. Six category winners will be revealed, and from these winning titles, two exceptional books will be crowned the 2026 Wainwright Prize Book of the Year and the 2026 Wainwright Children's Prize Book of the Year.
Good luck to all the nominees!
