The Wainwright Prize
The prize was created in Alfred Wainwright’s name to showcase the growing genre of nature-writing in publishing and to celebrate and encourage exploration of the outdoors to all readers. It was initially conceived in 2013 by Frances Lincoln, publishers of Alfred Wainwright’s guides. It has been administered ever since by the independent Literary Marketing Agency; Agile.
The Prize Director is Founder and Creative Director of Agile; Alastair Giles.
Alfred Wainwright
The Wainwright Prize was named in honour of; Alfred Wainwright, the author of the famous fell walking series; the Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells. Published by Frances Lincoln, an imprint of Quarto publishing Group, the fell guides were published between 1955 & 1966 and became the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the English Lake District.
AW (as he liked to be known) died in 1991 but all of the guides remain in print and extremely popular to this day.
Prize FUNDING
Over previous years it has been largely funded by sponsors: James Cropper PLC, Thwaites, Marston Brewery (who produced the ‘Wainwright Golden Beer’ brand), the Alfred Wainwright Estate and the Quarto Group. The publicity and promotional campaign for the prize is self-financed by promotional levies from publishers with shortlisted titles.
The prize is project managed by Agile with partners including The Wildlife Trust, The Outdoor Guide, The Wainwright Society and many others.
The Prize Categories
There are now three categories of the prize and they are awarded to the work which best reflects Wainwright’s core values and include a celebration of nature and our natural environment, or a warning of the dangers to it across the globe.
Featured ARTIST
Emily Wainwright
The Wainwright Prize is working in close partnership with designer and illustrator Emily Wainwright to develop bespoke illustrations that will be threaded throughout this year’s visual campaign. It’s not just the artist’s name that is fitting for the Prize, as Emily’s design work is centred around intricate illustrations of plants and botanicals. Having felt a desire to understand plants and botany in more depth, Emily has studied both Garden Design and Horticulture with the RHS and is a great believer in the benefits of spending time in nature and helping others to grow their own flourishing gardens.
“I’m thrilled to be working on The Wainwright Prize. I believe nature should be front and centre of all we do and that we can learn so much from the world around us – not just in the study of the natural world, but also in the simple enjoyment of its magic. To be able to support in celebrating Nature writers across the globe is a privilege. I’m excited to be part of the journey!”
Featured ARTIST
Helen musselwhite
We are honoured and delighted to introduce this years’ featured artist: Helen Musselwhite. Helen works with paper to create magical illustrated models and sets. Cutting by hand, she uses coloured and painted paper to build stunning, detailed multi-layered scenes inspired by the natural world and its inhabitants.
An affinity with paper
“I’m very inspired by the natural world and often listen to audiobooks about it whilst working and walking in the countryside around my studio”
Helen works from a home studio on the edge of Manchester, with one foot in suburbia and the other in the Cheshire countryside. A love of art sustained her through school, making it the most natural thing in the world to study graphic design and illustration.
Since then, her creative ventures have embraced decorative furniture, jewellery and painting – all of which she deeply enjoyed but which have since been eclipsed by her affinity with paper; the medium that was patiently waiting for her all along.
Her clients have included Morton Brown, Burton Snowboards, The Washington Post, Hoegaarden, Royal Mail and the Radio Times.
Explore and enjoy a few samples from Helen’s brilliant portfolio below.
Featured Illustrator
Dorien Brouwers
We are honoured to introduce this years’ featured artist and illustrator: Dorien Brouwers. Her fresh and fluid illustrations are composed to inject life into the prizes’ aesthetic through an evocative combination of colour, texture and rich palette of the world’s flora and fauna.
Keep your eyes and mind open
“Mother nature is the best designer and should be an inspiration to us all. It is wonderful to be using my creativity for a prize that encourages more people to love and protect our home”
Dorien grew up in the Netherlands, and moved to the UK when she was 21, where she trained as a graphic designer. She now lives in the countryside with her family, working as an illustrator and picture book author. Her extensive and ever-growing portfolio includes clients such as Hachette Book Group, Tate Modern, Pearson Education and the Prado Museum.
Explore a few samples from Dorien’s fantastic portfolio below.
