Late Light by Michael Malay
I’m going to remember the feeling of this book every time the sun sets. It captures the bittersweet fear of losing something beautiful when you have only just grasped how precious it is.
Michael was born in Indonesia and moved to Australia as a young boy. When he moved to Bristol to study English literature as a young man, the country was alien to him. Lonely and saddened by the grey landscape he had moved to, he took heart in the company and enthusiasm of a new group of friends. These friends introduced him to the natural world and taught him a curiosity and power to notice that he had never experienced before. The windswept dull edges of the Severn, seemingly empty rivers, dark countryside at night, and the human-sculpted landscape of urban Bristol revealed biodiversity he couldn’t believe.
Over the years he became fascinated by four species groups: eels, moths, mussels and grasshoppers. He discovered them though befriending experts, visiting their habitats and helping to survey these animals that are disappearing faster than we can find them. Through the history of these animals, he learns about our distinctly British culture and also reflects on his own life and sense of belonging.
Michael’s writing is poetic and kind. He notices and appreciates that which can be easily overlooked and this book glows with a love for both the natural world and our place within it.
I was honoured to be on the judging panel for the Wainwright Prize this year and to see this book win in the nature writing category.