Nature Writing
Nature Writing
Judging Chair
Michael Malay
Author & University Lecturer
“It’s wonderful. I can’t wait to clear out the shed, install a comfortable chair, and spend my evenings travelling to all the remarkable landscapes contained in these books. We have a 1-year-old at home, so it’s been a year of minimal travel for us. This will be my way of going out into the world again – and in the company of brilliant storytellers, noticers and guides.”
The Panel
Beth Collier
Psychotherapist & Director of Wild in the City
Kat Hill
Author
Henry Bird
Environment Newsletter Writer, The Times
Alastair Humphreys
Writer & Adventurer
Conservation Writing
Conservation Writing
Judging Chair
Phoebe Weston
Biodiversity Reporter, The Guardian
Biodiversity writer at the Guardian, covering nature loss, what is driving it, and the solutions emerging in response. I was raised on a livestock farm in Kent and am particularly interested in the relationship between farming and conservation, and how food production can (or can’t!) coexist with healthy ecosystems.
The Panel
Bella Lack
Conservationist, Environmental Activist & Author
Brendan Montague
Editor of The Ecologist
Hannah Martin
Co-Director of Green New Deal Rising
Lee Schofield
Ecologist & Author
Illustrative Books
Illustrative Books
Judging Chair
Errol Reuben Fernandes
Head of Horticulture, Horniman Museum
“It is an absolute honour to be asked to be a judge for this prestigious award. I have followed along closely for a few years, and many of the past winners grace our bookshelves. I love the dance between visuals and written text. The inclusion of visuals in this genre evokes memories of our experience in nature and tempts us back there.”
The Panel
Hannah Peck
Illustrator, Bookmaker & Educator
Jack Baker
Host & Creator of Pangolin: The Conservation Podcast
Francesca Willow
Writer, Artist, Climate Campaigner
Harry Skeggs
Award-winning Wildlife Photographer
Non-Fiction
Non-Fiction
Judging Chair
Mya Rose-Craig
Ornithologist, Activist & Author
Dr Mya-Rose Craig (known as Birdgirl) is a birdwatcher, and environmentalist. She has been campaigning for the planet since the age of 11, inspired by her lifelong love of nature. At 17, she was the youngest Briton to be awarded an honorary Doctorate for her pioneering work with her charity Black2Nature. She has written three award-winning books: her acclaimed memoir, Birdgirl, We Have a Dream which platforms the work of 30 young activists of colour, and Flight, a children’s book on wonders of migration.
The Panel
Dinny Smith
National Literacy Trust
Julie Collini
Bookseller, Sevenoaks
Tim Herbert
Editor of National Geographic Kids Magazine
Fiction
Fiction
Judging Chair
Abi Elphinstone
Author
“I feel enormously privileged to be a judge on this year’s Wainwright Prize. It took me seven years, four failed books and ninety-six rejections from literary agents to secure my first book deal back in 2015. Ten years later, I’m judging one of the most exciting and important literary prizes we have: an award that celebrates stories and nature – two things that, time and again, transform children’s lives.”
The Panel
Fiona Hickley
Executive Director, World Book Day
Imogen Russell Williams
Children's Book Critic for TLS, The Guardian
Jennifer Bell
Author
Picture Books
Picture Books
Judging Chair
Ash Bhardwaj
Broadcast Journalist, Author & Storyteller
Ash Bhardwaj is an award-winning journalist, podcaster and broadcaster, and the author of Why We Travel, The Independent’s “Travel Book of the Year 2024”. He has presented and reported from over 50 countries for outlets including the BBC, The Telegraph, The Times, Conde Nast Traveller, Discovery, and the Guardian, and appears as a travel expert on BBC One, Channel 5, and Sky News.
The Panel
Mikey Please
Author & Illustrator
Mariajo Ilustrajo
Author & Illustrator
Alex Try
RSPB Director of Communications
Judging Process for Overall Winners
Following the selection of the six individual category winners, a dedicated panel composed of the prize director and subject-matter experts, as well as representatives from the rights holders will convene to determine the overall adult and children’s winners. Drawing on the category panels’ insights this group will discuss the shortlisted titles against the overall judging criteria before reaching a consensus.
Judging Criteria for Overall Children's Wainwright Prize Winner:
The overall winner of the children’s Wainwright Prize will be selected from the three category winners by a separate panel not involved in the individual category decisions. The chosen title will be one that best embodies the Wainwright Prize’s mission to inspire a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors. Judges will consider the book’s originality, emotional impact, accessibility, and its ability to foster curiosity, care, and wonder in young readers.
Judging Criteria for Overall Adult's Wainwright Prize Winner:
The overall winner of the adult’s Wainwright Prize will be selected from the three category winners by a separate panel not involved in the individual category decisions. The winning book will be recognised for its outstanding contribution to deepening our understanding of nature, place, and environmental responsibility. Judges will assess its potential for cultural impact, its resonance with a wide readership, and how powerfully it reflects the values at the heart of the Wainwright Prize.