An illustrated guide to Britain's endangered bird species created by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris has received the top award at the Wainwright Prize for nature and conservation writing. The Book of Birds, which documents 49 declining or threatened species through Macfarlane's text and Morris's artwork, was named overall book of the year, while a children's nonfiction work by Thomas Halliday and illustrator Gavin Scott also claimed an overall prize.
The publication represents a departure from conventional field guides, drawing inspiration from the classic references that shaped both creators' approach to the natural world. Macfarlane described the project's urgency in terms stark enough to underscore the work's significance:
There are three billion fewer birds in North America than 50 years ago; 600 million fewer in Europe. Our skies are thinner, our springs quieter. This is a savage loss. We wanted, in paint and word, to pull birds back into focus and splendour – and warn against their vanishing.
The prize ceremony took place on 17 September 2026 at Elmley Nature Reserve in Kent, hosted by Henry Bird, according to the prize's official announcement. The 2026 cycle included six categories alongside the two overall winners, with The Book of Birds competing in the Illustrative Books category before advancing to the top honour.
How does this book connect to Macfarlane and Morris's earlier work?
The pair previously collaborated on The Lost Words, a bestselling title that emerged in response to nature-related vocabulary—including acorn and wren—being removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary due to infrequent use by children. That book was shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Prize. The following year, Macfarlane won the prize outright with his book Underland. The Book of Birds marks their third collaboration, following The Lost Words and The Lost Spells, and was published on 7 May 2026 in conjunction with the Bodleian Libraries' Wonder of Birds exhibition, which runs until 3 January 2027.
Morris's work has gained considerable recognition in the 2026 prize cycle: she had three books on the shortlist, including The Book of Birds, Wild Folk: Tales from the Stones, and The Summer Puppy, according to the prize's shortlist announcement.
What other books won in the 2026 competition?
Beyond the two overall winners, the Wainwright Prize recognised four additional category victors. Luke Barley received the nature writing award, Cal Flyn won for conservation writing, Caryl Lewis took the children's fiction category, and Annie Booker was recognised for picture books. Each category winner received £500, while the two overall winners each received an additional £2,500 on top of their category prize money.
The Wainwright Prize, established in 2013 by Frances Lincoln and the Alfred Wainwright estate, celebrates the finest nature and conservation writing published in the United Kingdom. Previous winners have included James Rebanks, Merlin Sheldrake, and Chloe Dalton, who received the prize for Raising Hare, an account of rescuing a leveret during the pandemic.
Why does this award matter now?
Prize director Alastair Giles emphasised the timeliness of the recognition:
As environmental and social challenges grow ever more urgent, it's inspiring to see writers using their voices to deepen our connection with the natural world.The award comes at a moment when bird populations across Britain face unprecedented pressure. Recent trends show younger generations embracing birdwatching despite—or perhaps because of—declining wild bird numbers, suggesting that works like The Book of Birds may play a role in reversing awareness and engagement with environmental decline.
Key Facts
- The Book of Birds documents 49 species of declining or endangered British birds through text by Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris
- The prize ceremony was held on 17 September 2026 at Elmley Nature Reserve in Kent
- Morris had three books on the 2026 shortlist, demonstrating her prominence in contemporary nature publishing
- The book was published on 7 May 2026 alongside the Bodleian Libraries' Wonder of Birds exhibition, which continues until 3 January 2027
- Overall winners receive £2,500 in addition to their category prize of £500
