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WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2022

James Aldred’s prize-winning lockdown diary of his summer in the New Forest, for fans of Helen MacDonald’s H is for Hawk.

‘A beautiful inspirational tale set in an extraordinary time.’ Ray Mears

‘Wonderful … they don’t come much more expert than James Aldred’ Lauren Laverne

What happens to nature when we are no longer there?

In early 2020, wildlife cameraman James Aldred was commissioned to film the lives of a family of goshawks in the New Forest. Then lockdown. No more cars, no more aeroplanes, no one in the woods – except James – in a place empty of people but filled with birdsong and new life.

In these silver nights and golden days, there were tumbling fox cubs, calling curlew and, of course, the soaring goshawks – shining like fire through one of our darkest times. A goshawk summer unlike any other; an extraordinary season in the forest.

‘Magical and transporting… a beautiful and deeply evocative hymn to love, hope and connection.’ HELEN MACDONALD, author of H is for Hawk

‘[An] entrancing, acutely observed, beautifully paced diary of the secretive raptor’s breeding season… Fascinating.’ BBC Wildlife

Publisher Review

'A beautiful inspirational tale set in an extraordinary time.' Ray Mears 'Wonderful ... they don't come much more expert than James Aldred' Lauren Laverne 'Magical and transporting... a beautiful and deeply evocative hymn to love, hope and connection.' Helen MacDonald, author of H is for Hawk '[An] entrancing, acutely observed, beautifully paced diary of the secretive raptor's breeding season... Fascinating.' BBC Wildlife 'I was struck throughout by the power and visceral beauty of Aldred's prose. He writes almost like a poet, placing such emphasis on using precise and beautiful vocabulary' NB Magazine 'A wonderful insight into natural history filmmaking.' The Bay Magazine 'Really gets into the heart of the area ... not just an enjoyable book to read, but one to learn from' Bird Watching 'Enchanting ... the goshawks are the book's central characters but there is much else besides not least the foxes and curlews captured by Aldred's lens.' Country & Town House 'Highly readable and informative ... In Goshawk Summer, Aldred succeeds in bringing his childhood home to life ... This book has opened my eyes to [the New Forest's] scale and richness.' The Pilgrim 'An extraordinary book ... Aldred's observations from nest-building to egg laying, hatching, chick feeding and fledging are spellbinding and educational.' Wild Things