Robert MacFarlane

Brought to you by Penguin.Shortlisted for the Best Nonfiction Audiobook at the New York Festival Radio Awards 2020. A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2019WINNER OF THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020'You'd be crazy not to read this book' The Sunday TimesA Guardian Best Book of the 21st CenturyFrom the internationally bestselling, prize-winning author of Landmarks, The Lost Words and The Old WaysIn Underland, Robert Macfarlane takes us on a journey into the worlds beneath our feet. From the ice-blue depths of Greenland's glaciers, to the underground networks by which trees communicate, from Bronze Age burial chambers to the rock art of remote Arctic sea-caves, this is a deep-time voyage into the planet's past and future. Global in its geography, gripping in its voice and haunting in its implications, Underland is a work of huge range and power, and a remarkable new chapter in Macfarlane's long-term exploration of landscape and the human heart.SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020 'Macfarlane has invented a new kind of book, really a new genre entirely' The Irish Times'He is the great nature writer, and nature poet, of this generation' Wall Street Journal 'Macfarlane has shown how utterly beautiful a brilliantly written travel book can still be' Observer on The Old Ways'Irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly' Independent on Landmarks'It sets the imagination tingling...like reading a prose Odyssey sprinkled with imagist poems' The Sunday Times on The Old Ways(c) Robert Macfarlane 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane, read by Roy McMillan

SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE

From the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS

''Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly'' Independent

''Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving. A bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place'' Financial Times

''A book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over'' Guardian

''Gorgeous, thoughtful and lyrical'' Independent on Sunday

''Feels as if [it] somehow grew out of the land itself. A delight'' Sunday Times

Discover Robert Macfarlane''s joyous meditation on words, landscape and the relationship between the two.

Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature, and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to describe land, nature and weather.

Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms, and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it.

Brought to you by Penguin. Eerie, unsettling and hauntingly beautiful - a new collaboration from the bestselling creators of Holloway, Robert Macfarlane and Stanley Donwood. A unique audiobook experience, narrated by Stephen Dillane, set to a bespoke score by composer, Hugh Brunt. Recorded and produced at Abbey Road Studios, London.Somewhere on a salt-and-shingle island, inside a ruined concrete structure known as The Green Chapel, a figure called The Armourer is leading a ritual with terrible intent. But something is coming to stop him.Five more-than-human forms are traversing land, sea and time towards The Green Chapel, moving to the point where they will converge and become Ness. Ness has lichen skin and willow-bones. Ness is made of tidal drift, green moss and deep time. Ness has hagstones for eyes and speaks only in birds. And Ness has come to take this island back.What happens when land comes to life? What would it take for land to need to come to life?Using words, the pair have together made a minor modern myth. Part-novella, part-prose-poem, part-mystery play, in Ness their skills combine to dazzling, troubling effect.Robert Macfarlane is the author of The Lost Words with Jackie Morris, The Old Ways and Underland. Stanley Donwood is an artist and the author of Slowly Downward, Household Worms and Bad Island.'...it's a listening experience marked by its oddity, its vocabulary...it's a compelling and unsettling experience' - Financial Times Weekend'With its mythical atmosphere and rhythmic pleas...this is a work that is best heard out loud' - The Guardian'Ness goes beyond what we expect books to do. Beyond poetry, beyond the word, beyond the bomb -- it is an aftertime song' Max Porter, Booker-longlisted author of Grief is the Thing with FeathersScore by Hugh Brunt Co-produced by Hugh Brunt and Jake MillerEngineered and mixed by Jake MillerField recordist: Peter EasonRecorded at Abbey Road StudiosSoprano: Josephine StephensonAssistant engineer: George OultonMastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios(c) Robert Macfarlane, Stanley Donwood 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Brought to you by Penguin.

As the nights get darker and colder, curl up with voices of hope and renewal - feel the natural world come back to life around you . . .

The Lost Spells is an audio treasure, a new collection of ''spells'' - acrostic poetry and artwork - by writer Robert Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris. For those who loved The Lost Words - this is its little sister.

Captivatingly read, calling to forest, field, riverbank, ocean and also to the heart, these ''spells'' summon back what is often lost from sight and care. From Jay to Jackdaw, Oak to Barn Owl, Silver Birch to Grey Seal, they evoke the special spirit of each plant and creature. Above all, they celebrate a sense of wonder at nature''s power to amaze, console and bring joy.

Across a bewitching natural soundscape by renowned wildlife recordist Chris Watson, readers Yrsa Daley-Ward, Johnny Flynn and Julie Fowlis bring the magic of both nature and language to listeners in an immersive and unique audio experience.


Praise for The Lost Words:

''Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language'' Jeanette Winterson, Guardian

''Breathtaking, magical... Jackie Morris has created something that you could spend all day looking at'' New Statesman

''Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty'' Observer

© Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Brought to you by Penguin.Woodland, moorland, sea... Great Britain is home to vast array of beautiful natural settings, each with its own unique sounds.The award-winning audiobook for The Lost Words and its sister, The Lost Spells, showcased the immersive power of a natural soundscape. Compiled by renowned wildlife recordist, Chris Watson, these soundscapes acted as the backdrop and setting for beautiful spells, whilst possessing an energy and life of their own.Now, these aural glimpses into the natural world, be it an adder in grass or an egret submerging into the swell of the ocean, are brought together to star in their own right. Complemented by a foreword from renowned writer Robert Macfarlane, beautiful artwork by Jackie Morris and a fascinating 'making of' interview with sound recordist Chris Watson, The Lost Sounds is an immersive natural listening experience, taking reader across the UK through the sounds of nature. Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris, Chris Watson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Reissue of J. A. Baker?s extraordinary classic of British nature writing, with an exclusive new afterword by Robert Macfarlane.Despite the association of peregrines with the wild, outer reaches of the British Isles, The Peregrine is set on the flat marshes of the Essex coast, where J A Baker spent a long winter looking and writing about the visitors from the uplands ? peregrines that spend the winter hunting the huge flocks of pigeons and waders that share the desolate landscape with them.Such luminaries as Ted Hughes and Andrew Motion have cited this as one of the most important books in 20th Century nature writing, and the bestselling nature writer Mark Cocker has provided an introduction on the importance of Baker and his work.Among fragments of letters to Baker was one from a reader who praised a piece that Baker had written in RSPB Birds magazine in 1971. Apart from a paper on peregrines which Baker wrote for the Essex Bird Report, this article ? entitled On the Essex Coast ? appears to be his only other published piece of writing, and, with the agreement of the RSPB, it has been included in this updated new paperback edition of Baker?s astounding work.

22 writers talk about their memorable excursions and the act of walking, and share their creative observations

In these six series, taken from BBC Radio 3''s The Essay, an array of novelists, poets, journalists and biographers chart the varied and inspiring walks they have taken around Britain and elsewhere. Here are treks taken at daybreak and after dark; in winter and in spring; in the footsteps of the past; and - in the case of Robert Macfarlane - along the ridges of the South Downs.

Dawnwalks and Night Walks find Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicola Barker, Kamila Shamsie, Ian Sansom, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Owen Sheers, Janice Galloway and John Walsh taking early morning and late-night strolls around locations ranging from their back garden and local cemetery to Manhattan, Paris, Tasmania and the Antarctic.

Springwalks and Winterwalks feature Michele Roberts, Ross Raisin, John Walsh, Kirsty Gunn, Philip Hoare, Deborah Levy, Christopher Hope, Scarlett Thomas, Erica Wagner and Owen Sheers, as they sample the transforming qualities of spring and the wonders of winter. From Poland and the Languedoc to Hampstead Heath and the Yorkshire Wolds, they delight in the details of the landscape and reflect on what it means to them.

Strange Strolls sees Jenn Ashworth, Michael Donkor, Stephanie Victoire, Nat Segnit and Sophie Coulombeau embarking on walks of entertaining eccentricity, revisiting favourite places including Wandsworth Bridge, the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia and Ibiza.

And in A Five-Day Journey, Robert Macfarlane walks the length of the South Downs in monsoon rain and in sunshine, discovering its chalk trails and its ghosts. He ponders the relationship between paths and stories; explores the poet Edward Thomas'' love affair with tracks; considers the concept of the Aboriginal Australian songline; re-imagines the life of artist Eric Ravilious; and contemplates the sometimes eerie relationship between walking, collecting and creation.

Intimate, evocative and immersive, these 30 uplifting programmes transport us to a wealth of wonderful places, and offer fascinating personal insight into the inner worlds of our walker-writers.

Production credits
Produced by Duncan Minshull, Ciaran Bermingham and Tim Dee

First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the following dates:

Dawnwalks
Nicholas Shakespeare 28 March 2016
Nicola Barker 29 March 2016
Kamila Shamsie 30 March 2016
Ian Sansom 31 March 2016
Lucy Hughes-Hallett 1 April 2016

Night Walks
Nicholas Shakespeare 27 October 2008
Owen Sheers 28 October 2008
Janice Galloway 29 October 2008
Kamila Shamsie 30 October 2008
John Walsh 31 October 2008

Springwalks
Michele Roberts in Poznan 31 March 2014
Ross Raisin in the Yorkshire Wolds 1 April 2014
John Walsh 2 April 2014
Kirsty Gunn in Sutherland 3 April 2014
Philip Hoare in Sholing 4 April 2014

Winterwalks
Deborah Levy on Hampstead Heath 18 February 2013
Christopher Hope in Languedoc 19 February 2013
Scarlett Thomas 20 February 2013
Erica Wagner 21 February 2013
Owen Sheers in Poland 22 February 2013

Strange Strolls
Jenn Ashworth - The Abiding Mental Riches of Preston 10 February 2020
Michael Donkor - On Westminster Bridge 11 February 2020
Stephanie Victoire - Dark Hollow Falls 12 February 2020
Nat Segnit - The Other Ibiza 13 February 2020
Sophie Coulombeau - Walking Matilda 14 February 2020

A Five-Day Journey
Marking 2 November 2009
Haunting 3 November 2009
Singing 4 November 2009
Flying 5 November 2009
Collecting 6 November 2009

© 2023 BBC Studio...

22 BBC radio programmes celebrating the great outdoors, introduced by Harriet NobleSpending time in nature is good for both our bodies and minds - but with our hectic lives (not to mention the unreliable British weather), it can be hard to get outside as much as we'd like. But fear not: we've selected some of BBC Radio 4's best nature documentaries to transport you to the great outdoors - and encourage you to take your own trip into the wild.Discover the tranquility of canoeing down the River Waveney; go rambling in the countryside with Clare Balding; explore al fresco cooking with the Food Programme team and learn the history of Cornwall's colourful flower fields. Or why not go surfing in Scotland, off-grid in Wales or on a journey of a lifetime with Paralympian cyclist Karen Darke?These captivating programmes will let you experience the sights and sounds of nature - from an oak woodland to a rainforest canopy and a rock pool - and introduce you to some remarkable naturalists, such as filmmaker Roger Deakin, author Robert Macfarlane, pioneering ornithologist Emma Turner, writer and poet Nan Shepherd, and perfumer and mountain photographer Walter Poucher.Whether you're an intrepid explorer, a weekend micro-adventurer or simply a nature lover, you're sure to be inspired - so step away from your screen, get out into the open air and enjoy the beauty of the natural world.ContentsCigarette on the Waveney - presented by Roger DeakinRamblings: In Search of the Old Ways with Robert Macfarlane - presented by Clare BaldingOpen Country: Nan Shepherd's Cairngorms - presented by Helen MarkThe Food Programme: Outdoor Cooking - presented by Sheila Dillon and Simon ParkesOne to One: Isabel Hardman on nature and depressionRamblings: George Monbiot in search of the wild - presented by Clare BaldingThe Life Scientific: Sky at Night with Maggie Aderin-Pocock- presented by Jim Al-Khalili Open Country: Off Grid in Mid-Wales - presented by Ian MarchantA Guide to Coastal Wildlife: Rock Pools - presented by Brett Westwood and Phil GatesSound recordist: Chris WatsonSoundstage: The Oak Woodland Sound recordist: Chris WatsonCosting the Earth: Cycle City - presented by Tom HeapOpen Country: Surfing on Scotland's North Coast - presented by Helen MarkJourney of a Lifetime - Karen Darke: From Source to Sea via MeNature: The Rainforest CanopyRecorded by wildlife cameraman John AitchisonNature: Emma Turner - A Life in the ReedsSound recordist: Chris WatsonThe Flower Fields - presented by Michael BirdThe Perfumed Mountaineer - presented by Hayden LorimerLiving World: Winter Seashore - presented by Trai AnfieldOpen Country: The Boat Builders of Pin Mill - presented by Helen MarkRamblings: Bonding Walks: Stiperstones, Shropshire - presented by Clare BaldingOpen Country: Somerset Wassail - presented by Helen MarkWinter StarlingsSound recordist: Chris Watson(c) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, read by Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK AWARD
BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CHILDREN''S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018

The book that has taken root in schools across Britain, inspired creative thinkers, young and old, and restored the vanishing poetry of nature.


All over the country, there are words disappearing from children''s lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children''s minds.

The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration - in art and word - of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

Across a rich and vivid natural soundscape, Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah, iconic voices of modern Britain, bring the magic of nature and language to listeners. Through captivating readings, wonderful natural recordings and more, the audio edition of The Lost Words is a stunning celebration of the nature and the power of language.

Includes listening notes by Chris Watson, wildlife and natural phenomena recordist, as a downloadable PDF.
*** Discover The Lost Spells, the magical new book from the creators of a literary phenomenon. Available to pre-order now. ***

Praise for The Lost Words:

''The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I''ve read this year'' Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer

''Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty'' Alex Preston, Observer

''My top book of the year'' Susan Hill, Spectator


''Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language - and its scope'' Jeanette Winterson, Guardian

David Attenborough reads J. A. Baker?s extraordinary classic of British nature writing.The nation?s greatest voice, David Attenborough, reads J. A. Baker?s extraordinary classic of British nature writing, The Peregrine.J. A. Baker?s classic of British nature writing was first published in 1967. Greeted with acclaim, it went on to win the Duff Cooper Prize, the pre-eminent literary prize of the time. Luminaries such as Ted Hughes, Barry Lopez and Andrew Motion have cited it as one of the most important books in twentieth-century nature writing.Despite the association of peregrines with the wild, outer reaches of the British Isles, The Peregrine is set on the flat marshes of the Essex coast, where J. A. Baker spent long winters looking and writing about the visitors from the uplands ? peregrines that spend the winter hunting the huge flocks of pigeons and waders that share the desolate landscape with them.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZEThe original bestseller from the beloved author of UNDERLAND, LANDMARKS and THE LOST WORDS - Robert Macfarlane travels Britain's ancient paths and discovers the secrets of our beautiful, underappreciated landscape'The Old Ways confirms Macfarlane's reputation as one of the most eloquent and observant of contemporary writers about nature' Scotland on SundayFollowing the tracks, holloways, drove-roads and sea paths that form part of a vast ancient network of routes criss-crossing the British Isles and beyond, Robert Macfarlane discovers a lost world - a landscape of the feet and the mind, of pilgrimage and ritual, of stories and ghosts; above all of the places and journeys which inspire and inhabit our imaginations.'Sublime . . . It sets the imagination tingling, laying an irresistible trail for readers to follow' Sunday Times'Read this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again' Metro'He has a rare physical intelligence and affords total immersion in place, elements and the passage of time: wonderful' Antony Gormley