The Wainwright Prize — which aims to celebrate nature and our environment and inform readers of the threats the earth currently faces — has this morning announced the shortlist for its 2024 awards. Huge congratulations to everyone shortlisted — and we are thrilled as always to see Caught by the River contributors and former Books of the Month among the ranks!

The 2024 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing shortlist is as follows:

Kat Hill – Bothy: In Search of Simple Shelter

Jessica J. Lee – Dispersals: On Plants, Borders and Belonging (read Emily Hasler’s review here; read Jessica’s writing for Caught by the River here)

Michael Malay – Late Light: The Secret Wonders of a Disappearing World (read Abi Andrews’ review here; an extract here: Michael’s writing for the site here)

Alastair Humphreys – Local: A Search For Nearby Nature and Wilderness

Rebecca Smith – Rural: The Lives of the Working Class Countryside (read Nicola Chester’s review here)

Olivia Laing – The Garden Against Time: In Search of a Common Paradise

Marchelle Farrell – Uprooting: From the Caribbean to the Countryside – Finding Home in an English Garden

The 2024 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Conservation comprises:

Helen Czerski – Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes Our World

John Vaillant – Fire Weather: A True Story From a Hotter World

Chantal Lyons – Groundbreakers: The Return of Britain’s Wild Boar (read Kirsteen Bell’s review here; Sue Brooks’ reflection here)

Tori Tsui – It’s Not Just You: How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis

Sophie Yeo – Nature’s Ghosts: The World We Lost and How to Bring It Back

Oliver Franklin-Wallis – Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Trow Away, Where It Goes and Why It Matters

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Shop the shortlists here via our Bookshop.org page. The winners will be announced on 11th September. Find out more about the Wainwright Prize here.