Diary of a Young Naturalist

"The turning of my world from spring to winter, at home, in the wild, in my head..."

'Really, really special' CHRIS PACKHAM

'An extraordinary voice and vision' ROBERT MACFARLANE

WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2020
WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARD FOR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2020
WINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS FOR NON-FICTION 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020

Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of Dara McAnulty's world, from spring to summer, autumn to winter, on his home patch, at school, in the wild and in his head.

Evocative, raw and beautifully written, this startling and special book vividly explores the natural world from the perspective of an autistic teenager coping with the uprooting of home, school, and his mental health, while pursuing his life as a conservationist and environmental activist.

In a work of power and hope, Dara recalls his sensory encounters in the wild - with blackbirds, whooper swans, red kites, hen harriers, frogs, dandelions, Irish hares and more - while drawing a moving portrait of a young activist dealing with change, and a family making their way in the world.

'One of the most talented and passionate writers of our era' STEVE SILBERMAN