Our prize’s history begins with the remarkable figure of Alfred Wainwright: fell walker, mapper, writer and illustrator. In the heart of the Lake District, a region renowned for its rugged beauty, unparalleled walking, and ties to nature writing, lies the spirit of Wainwright. It was here that Wainwright crafted his popular guidebooks, The Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells, in the 1950s and early 1960s, for which he has become so well-known and admired amongst generations of naturalists, writers, and hikers alike.
Meticulous and intricate in their detail, each of the seven hand-drawn and handwritten guides is dedicated to a different region of the area, artfully combining geographical details and artistry. ‘People had written books, but nobody had decided to map it out foot by foot, yard by yard. It’s a man with a single-minded vision. I can’t imagine anyone ever trying to do anything on that scale again’, producer Richard Else, who worked with Wainwright, once said. He continues, ‘They’re about the history of the Lake District, its ecology, its culture. You can discover the story behind a slate mine or a type of farming. It’s the sheer detail.’
The Guides act not only as a manual to the pathways of the fells, but as a vivid portrait of the character of the landscape itself. Exquisite pen-and-ink drawings chart the routes, peaks, valleys, and landmarks of the fells, mottled with the reflections, anecdotes, and the prose of the lone wanderer, rich in emotion and lyricism. Portraits of rugged terrains, the play of light and shadow on the hills, and the epic vistas that reward those who dare to conquer them abound.
The Fell Guides were the first of their kind, and they remain unmatched to this day. They are timeless, continuing to inspire hikers to lace their boots and tread new paths, and encouraging thinkers and writers to keep on forming connections with their surroundings. Each edition is a testament to the enduring allure of nature, the power of literary expression, and the ability of the individual to share that connection. Just as Wainwright’s pen brought the fells to life on paper, so many of our authors bring different landscapes and ideas to life and fruition.
This year, the prize comes full circle as we return to Alfred Wainwright’s roots and hometown, Kendal, burrowed in the sublime peaks of the Lake District, for a festival-style celebration of this year’s winners, who undoubtedly continue Wainwright’s legacy in their writing. We look forward to many more years of celebrating Alfred Wainwright and his guides, as we continue to explore and reflect on our natural world.
One name above all others has become associated with walking in the Lake District: A. Wainwright, whose seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, first published in 1955–66, has become the definitive guidebook. Wainwright’s meticulously hand-drawn maps, diagrams and drawings take you up the 214 principal hills and mountains of the Lake District, describing the main routes of ascent from different starting points, as well as lesser-known variants, showing the summit viewpoint panoramas and the ridge routes that can be made to create longer walks.
Published by Frances Lincoln Publishing.