I am chuffed to bits to learn that my book Local has been nominated for the most prestigious award in nature writing, the Wainwright Prize. I was amazed and delighted to hear the news.

When I began writing Local, I was very worried about veering away from my background in travel and adventure writing. I didn’t know whether I’d have anything useful or fresh to say in a field filled with experts and fabulous writers.

I was also uncertain whether those of you who’ve kindly supported my books for years would want to pivot with me towards looking at the natural world more closely – its delights and problems.

While I was writing the book, I harboured a very secret, very vain, very unlikely ambition: to write something worthy of sitting alongside the wonderful books that have won the Wainwright Prize over the years.
This nomination really means a great deal to me. I’m also looking forward to reading the other nominated books.

If you’d like to read Local, it is currently reduced to just 99p on Kindle, and there are also signed copies of the paperback for the first 75 people to buy copies on my website.

• ?‍♂️ Tour de France cyclist rides jubilantly through his local area and pauses to kiss his wife. Killjoy officials fine him £170. He declares that it was money well spent!
• ?‍♀️ ‘It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it was kind of fun as well.’ The remarkable Jasmin Parris talking about the remarkable Barkley Marathons.
• ⛰ I was sad to read of the death of Joss Naylor, an incredible character, athlete, and supporter of anyone who enjoys running in the hills of the Lake District.
• ? “It’s a totally pointless mission, important only to me, but I still push myself hard every day to do the best that I can do, and succeed on my own terms.” A fastpacking film.
• ? An interesting adventure to follow on Instagram – Jessie is travelling between the most and the least polluted places on Earth.
• ??‍? Of very niche appeal, and it’s certainly not going to go viral, but if you’re a teacher you might be interested in the Q&A channel I’ve started on YouTube.
• ? Fear… What’s holding you back? I made a little film about it.
• ? Comedy Wildlife Photos.

A Single Map: Square 1 Revisited…

Let me know if you have a relevant project that my readers would appreciate.

Here’s what you guys have been up to recently:

• ARTICLE: South Pole expeditions are always a good place to find boldness, bravery and ego with a stunning backdrop. This season is no exception, with the contrasting stories of Colin, Lou and Borge making for great reading for anyone interested in this niche world. A juicy cocktail of narcissism, stoicism and proper adventurer epicness. (As a bonus, it’s written by David Roberts, whose writing I frequently champion.)
• BOOK: A celebration of self-delusion, You Are Not So Smart is an eye-opening book about the way we make decisions. You can dip into the concept through the book, blog or podcasts.
• VIDEO: I love Vimeo’s ‘Staff Picks’ (and have a not-secret ambition to earn one eventually. I sort-of-did here, but that was essentially down to my friend’s genius not me!) and so I enjoyed their annual collection of the Best Travel Films and the Best Action Sports Films.
• ADVENTURE: ‘Their Only Portrait’ is a story about giving a little bit of goodness and kindness and purpose to a fun bikepacking adventure in South America. Really nice idea.
• DO SOMETHING: a calendar of tiny, simple, but rewarding ways to help you overcome a busy diary, get out into nature, and pay a little more attention.
• TINY GOOD DEED: Switch to Ecosia, a search engine that uses 80% of its profits to plant trees.

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Cheers,

Alastair