Wainwright prize for nature writing awarded to memoir about raising a hare during lockdown

"The Wainwright prizes, named after the famed author and fell walker Alfred Wainwright, celebrate nature and conservation writing. Each of the two main prizes comes with a 2,500 award. Dalton's memoir, which was also shortlisted for the Women's prize for nonfiction, is a sustained and patient attempt to cross the species abyss, and to see the world through the hare's eyes, wrote Edward Posnett in a Guardian review. It possesses a dream-like quality, and often reads as a fable of metamorphosis."

"Both Dalton and Butterfield are debut authors. Butterfield's Flower Block is a beautifully told story brought to life by stunning artwork that kept me engaged from start to finish, said former Blue Peter presenter and judge Mwaka Mudenda. I loved the rich diversity of characters throughout the book a reminder of the beauty in our differences and the strength of community."

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton traces a move from London to the countryside as Dalton rescued and cared for a leveret during lockdown, portraying attempts to see the world through the hare's eyes. Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield, illustrated by Hoang Giang, is set in a city tower block where a boy named Jeremiah plants sunflower seeds that sprout overnight and overrun the apartments. The Wainwright prizes, named for Alfred Wainwright, celebrate nature and conservation and award two main prizes of £2,500 each. Dalton and Butterfield are debut winners, and other category winners include Guy Shrubsole, George Steinmetz with Joel K Bourne Jr and Michael Pollan, and Brogen Murphy.

Read at www.theguardian.com