Judges

Explore the 2023 James Cropper Wainwright
prize judging panels

The Nature Writing Prize judging panel is chaired by TV presenter Charlotte Smith, CEO of The Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett, is the Chair of Judges for Writing on Conservation; and Communications & Campaigns Director of National Trust, Mark Funnell, chairs the Prize for Children’s Writing on Nature and Conservation.

Nature Writing

Charlotte Smith Headshot

Judging Chair

Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith is a freelance broadcaster, writer and conference host – she presents BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today and has been a Countryfile presenter for more than two decades.

The Panel

Nature Writing

Dr Anjana Khatwa

Award-Winning Earth Scientist and Presenter
Nature Writing

Amber Harrison

Independent Specialist Bookseller
Nature Writing

James Aldred

Winning Author, 2022
Nature Writing

Charlotte Smith

Broadcast Presenter

Writing on Conservation

Craig Bennett

Judging Chair

Craig Bennett

Craig Bennett started as Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts in April 2020, with the ambition of putting a third of the UK’s land and sea into nature recovery by 2030. He has been described as “one of the country’s top environmental campaigners”, and by The Guardian as “the very model of a modern eco-general”. He was recently listed as one of the UK’s top “social media CEOs”. Before acquiring his role at The Wildlife Trusts, Craig was the CEO of Friends of the Earth for five successful years. Prior to this, Craig was deputy director at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and director of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change (from 2007 to 2010). He maintains his links with The University of Cambridge, as policy fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy (CsAP), and as a senior associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

The Panel

Writing on Conservation

Lucy Siegle

Journalist & Broadcaster
Writing on Conservation

Lee Schofield

Shortlisted Author, 2022
Writing on Conservation

Sir John Lawton

Leading Environmentalist
Writing on Conservation

Mark Cropper

Chairman of James Cropper, leaders in advanced materials, luxury packaging and creative papers.
Writing on Conservation

Craig Bennett

CEO UK Wildlife Trusts

Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Mark Funnell Headshot

Judging Chair

Mark Funnell

Mark is Communications and Campaigns Director at the National Trust. He has specialised in environmental communications and campaigns for over 20 years. His other recent roles include interim Director of Communications at Defra, Head of Communications at the Forestry Commission and Head of External Relations at the Environment Agency. Mark started out in editorial and publishing roles, working for five years at a consumer magazine publishing company.

The Panel

Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Helen Musselwhite

2022 Wainwright Prize Official Artist
Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Kate McCloskey

Independent Bookseller
Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Roisin Taylor

Co-director for UK Youth for Nature
Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Ben Shires

Children's TV presenter
Children's Writing on Nature and Global Conservation

Mark Funnell

Communications & Campaigns Director National Trust