We’re delighted to see that Robert Macfarlane, Michael Morpurgo, and Rob Cowen have been longlisted for the 2025 Wainwright Prize.

The Wainwright Prize spotlights writing and illustration that celebrate the natural world and inspire readers of all ages to protect it. This year, the Prize has expanded to six distinct categories to reflect the evolving landscape of nature writing and environmental storytelling. These include: Nature Writing, Conservation Writing, Illustrative Books, and three Children’s Prizes—for Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Picture Books.

The North Road by Rob Cowen and Spring by Michael Morpurgo have been longlisted for the Nature Writing prize, while Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane has been longlisted for the Conservation Writing Prize. On the Children’s side, The World to Come written by Robert Macfarlane & Johnny Flynn, illustrated by Emily Sutton has been longlisted for the Picture Books Prize.

On the 2025 longlists, Prize Director, Alastair Giles, said:

“As we enter The Wainwright Prize’s second decade, the necessity to showcase and celebrate the very best of Nature and Conservation Writing has only strengthened. Although the plight of nature has never been more troubling, we have also witnessed a wave of enthusiasm from readers over the past few years. We hope The Wainwright Prize can continue to motivate people to reconnect with the environment, both physically and intellectually. With this year’s expansion to six categories, we’re especially proud to reflect the evolving landscape of environmental storytelling and to champion work that inspires younger generations to care for and protect the natural world. We can’t wait to find out which books from our 2025 longlists will be shortlisted later this summer before we choose our eventual winners.”

For more information and to see the full longlists, click here.