Audiobooks by Robert MacFarlane

The Book of Birds: The #1 Sunday Times bestseller from the authors of award-winning phenomenon The Lost Words

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the creators of the internationally bestselling, award-winning, multi-adapted phenomenon The Lost Words: a dazzling celebration of birdlife in Britain, re-imagining the classic field guide for a new generation of nature lovers A great thinning of the skies is underway. Around 50% of bird species are in decline worldwide. Our dawns and springs are quieter each year than the last. An almost unimaginable abundance has been lost. It does not have to be this way –– but we will not save what we do not love. The Book of Birds is a compendium of forty-nine bird species, from Avocet to Yellowhammer, all of which are declining or endangered in Britain. Inspired by the classic bird-books with which the authors grew up, this is a field guide with a difference. It asks not ‘What is that bird?’, but ‘Who is that bird?’ It shows its readers how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them. With lyrical precision and playfulness, Robert Macfarlane evokes each bird’s habits and habitats –– their patterns of flight and of song, how they hunt and gather, how they nest and raise their young, the stories and myths which attend them, the threats which shadow them, and how their wild lives intersect with our own. Set among this dazzling flock of species are seven sections celebrating the 'Seven Wonders' that together make up the everyday miracle of 'Bird': Nest, Egg, Beak, Song, Feather, Flight and Migration. Seven years in the making, The Book of Birds is a love letter to the splendours and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the loss of birds from land, sea and sky. From Dipper to Dunnock and Kestrel to Kingfisher, from mountain to ocean and city to river, Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane conjure the unique spirit and lifeway of each species. This is a book to be treasured by bird-lovers of all ages, and a future classic work of reference. © Jackie Morris 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane (Author), Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane (Narrator)

Audiobook

Is a River Alive?: The Instant Number One Sunday Times Bestseller

"Brought to you by Penguin. From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes this brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers a resounding yes to the question of its title. At its heart is a single, transformative idea: that rivers are not mere matter for human use, but living beings – who should be recognized as such in both imagination and law. Is a River Alive? takes the reader on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present and futures of this ancient, urgent concept. The book flows first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining. Then, to the wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way. And finally, to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river – the Mutehekau or Magpie – is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign. At once Macfarlane’s most personal and most political book to date, Is a River Alive? will open hearts, spark debates and lead us to the revelation that our fate flows with that of rivers – and always has. © Robert Macfarlane 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Robert MacFarlane (Author), Robert MacFarlane (Narrator)

Audiobook

Writers on Walks: A BBC Radio 3 Collection: 30 Reflections from Exploring on Foot

"22 writers talk about their memorable excursions and the act of walking, and share their creative observations In these six series, taken from BBC Radio 3's The Essay, an array of novelists, poets, journalists and biographers chart the varied and inspiring walks they have taken around Britain and elsewhere. Here are treks taken at daybreak and after dark; in winter and in spring; in the footsteps of the past; and - in the case of Robert Macfarlane - along the ridges of the South Downs. Dawnwalks and Night Walks find Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicola Barker, Kamila Shamsie, Ian Sansom, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Owen Sheers, Janice Galloway and John Walsh taking early morning and late-night strolls around locations ranging from their back garden and local cemetery to Manhattan, Paris, Tasmania and the Antarctic. Springwalks and Winterwalks feature Michele Roberts, Ross Raisin, John Walsh, Kirsty Gunn, Philip Hoare, Deborah Levy, Christopher Hope, Scarlett Thomas, Erica Wagner and Owen Sheers, as they sample the transforming qualities of spring and the wonders of winter. From Poland and the Languedoc to Hampstead Heath and the Yorkshire Wolds, they delight in the details of the landscape and reflect on what it means to them. Strange Strolls sees Jenn Ashworth, Michael Donkor, Stephanie Victoire, Nat Segnit and Sophie Coulombeau embarking on walks of entertaining eccentricity, revisiting favourite places including Wandsworth Bridge, the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia and Ibiza. And in A Five-Day Journey, Robert Macfarlane walks the length of the South Downs in monsoon rain and in sunshine, discovering its chalk trails and its ghosts. He ponders the relationship between paths and stories; explores the poet Edward Thomas' love affair with tracks; considers the concept of the Aboriginal Australian songline; re-imagines the life of artist Eric Ravilious; and contemplates the sometimes eerie relationship between walking, collecting and creation. Intimate, evocative and immersive, these 30 uplifting programmes transport us to a wealth of wonderful places, and offer fascinating personal insight into the inner worlds of our walker-writers. Production credits Produced by Duncan Minshull, Ciaran Bermingham and Tim Dee First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the following dates: Dawnwalks Nicholas Shakespeare 28 March 2016 Nicola Barker 29 March 2016 Kamila Shamsie 30 March 2016 Ian Sansom 31 March 2016 Lucy Hughes-Hallett 1 April 2016 Night Walks Nicholas Shakespeare 27 October 2008 Owen Sheers 28 October 2008 Janice Galloway 29 October 2008 Kamila Shamsie 30 October 2008 John Walsh 31 October 2008 Springwalks Michele Roberts in Poznan 31 March 2014 Ross Raisin in the Yorkshire Wolds 1 April 2014 John Walsh 2 April 2014 Kirsty Gunn in Sutherland 3 April 2014 Philip Hoare in Sholing 4 April 2014 Winterwalks Deborah Levy on Hampstead Heath 18 February 2013 Christopher Hope in Languedoc 19 February 2013 Scarlett Thomas 20 February 2013 Erica Wagner 21 February 2013 Owen Sheers in Poland 22 February 2013 Strange Strolls Jenn Ashworth - The Abiding Mental Riches of Preston 10 February 2020 Michael Donkor - On Westminster Bridge 11 February 2020 Stephanie Victoire - Dark Hollow Falls 12 February 2020 Nat Segnit - The Other Ibiza 13 February 2020 Sophie Coulombeau - Walking Matilda 14 February 2020 A Five-Day Journey Marking 2 November 2009 Haunting 3 November 2009 Singing 4 November 2009 Flying 5 November 2009 Collecting 6 November 2009 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

Christopher Hope, Deborah Levy, Erica Wagner, Ian Samson, Jenn Ashworth, Kamila Shamsie, Kirsty Gunn, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Michael Donkor, Michèle Roberts, Nat Segnit, Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicola Barker, Owen Sheers, Philip Hoare, Robert MacFarlane, Ross Raisin, Scarlett Thomas, Sophie Coulombeau (Author), Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

Go Wild: A BBC nature collection

"22 BBC radio programmes celebrating the great outdoors, introduced by Harriet Noble Spending time in nature is good for both our bodies and minds - but with our hectic lives (not to mention the unreliable British weather), it can be hard to get outside as much as we'd like. But fear not: we've selected some of BBC Radio 4's best nature documentaries to transport you to the great outdoors - and encourage you to take your own trip into the wild. Discover the tranquility of canoeing down the River Waveney; go rambling in the countryside with Clare Balding; explore al fresco cooking with the Food Programme team and learn the history of Cornwall's colourful flower fields. Or why not go surfing in Scotland, off-grid in Wales or on a journey of a lifetime with Paralympian cyclist Karen Darke? These captivating programmes will let you experience the sights and sounds of nature - from an oak woodland to a rainforest canopy and a rock pool - and introduce you to some remarkable naturalists, such as filmmaker Roger Deakin, author Robert Macfarlane, pioneering ornithologist Emma Turner, writer and poet Nan Shepherd, and perfumer and mountain photographer Walter Poucher. Whether you're an intrepid explorer, a weekend micro-adventurer or simply a nature lover, you're sure to be inspired - so step away from your screen, get out into the open air and enjoy the beauty of the natural world. Contents Cigarette on the Waveney - presented by Roger Deakin Ramblings: In Search of the Old Ways with Robert Macfarlane - presented by Clare Balding Open Country: Nan Shepherd's Cairngorms - presented by Helen Mark The Food Programme: Outdoor Cooking - presented by Sheila Dillon and Simon Parkes One to One: Isabel Hardman on nature and depression Ramblings: George Monbiot in search of the wild - presented by Clare Balding The Life Scientific: Sky at Night with Maggie Aderin-Pocock- presented by Jim Al-Khalili Open Country: Off Grid in Mid-Wales - presented by Ian Marchant A Guide to Coastal Wildlife: Rock Pools - presented by Brett Westwood and Phil Gates Sound recordist: Chris Watson Soundstage: The Oak Woodland Sound recordist: Chris Watson Costing the Earth: Cycle City - presented by Tom Heap Open Country: Surfing on Scotland's North Coast - presented by Helen Mark Journey of a Lifetime - Karen Darke: From Source to Sea via Me Nature: The Rainforest Canopy Recorded by wildlife cameraman John Aitchison Nature: Emma Turner - A Life in the Reeds Sound recordist: Chris Watson The Flower Fields - presented by Michael Bird The Perfumed Mountaineer - presented by Hayden Lorimer Living World: Winter Seashore - presented by Trai Anfield Open Country: The Boat Builders of Pin Mill - presented by Helen Mark Ramblings: Bonding Walks: Stiperstones, Shropshire - presented by Clare Balding Open Country: Somerset Wassail - presented by Helen Mark Winter Starlings Sound recordist: Chris Watson © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Clare Balding, George Monbiot, Harriet Noble, Robert MacFarlane, Roger Deakin (Author), Clare Balding, Harriet Noble, Jim Al-Khalili, Robert Macfarlane, Roger Deakin, Tom Heap (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lost Sounds

"Brought to you by Penguin. Woodland, moorland, sea... Great Britain is home to vast array of beautiful natural settings, each with its own unique sounds. The award-winning audiobook for The Lost Words and its sister, The Lost Spells, showcased the immersive power of a natural soundscape. Compiled by renowned wildlife recordist, Chris Watson, these soundscapes acted as the backdrop and setting for beautiful spells, whilst possessing an energy and life of their own. Now, these aural glimpses into the natural world, be it an adder in grass or an egret submerging into the swell of the ocean, are brought together to star in their own right. Complemented by a foreword from renowned writer Robert Macfarlane, beautiful artwork by Jackie Morris and a fascinating 'making of' interview with sound recordist Chris Watson, The Lost Sounds is an immersive natural listening experience, taking reader across the UK through the sounds of nature. © Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris, Chris Watson 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

Chris Watson, Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane (Author), Robert Macfarlane (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ness

"Brought to you by Penguin. Eerie, unsettling and hauntingly beautiful - a new collaboration from the bestselling creators of Holloway, Robert Macfarlane and Stanley Donwood. A unique audiobook experience, narrated by Stephen Dillane, set to a bespoke score by composer, Hugh Brunt. Recorded and produced at Abbey Road Studios, London. Somewhere on a salt-and-shingle island, inside a ruined concrete structure known as The Green Chapel, a figure called The Armourer is leading a ritual with terrible intent. But something is coming to stop him. Five more-than-human forms are traversing land, sea and time towards The Green Chapel, moving to the point where they will converge and become Ness. Ness has lichen skin and willow-bones. Ness is made of tidal drift, green moss and deep time. Ness has hagstones for eyes and speaks only in birds. And Ness has come to take this island back. What happens when land comes to life? What would it take for land to need to come to life? Using words, the pair have together made a minor modern myth. Part-novella, part-prose-poem, part-mystery play, in Ness their skills combine to dazzling, troubling effect. Robert Macfarlane is the author of The Lost Words with Jackie Morris, The Old Ways and Underland. Stanley Donwood is an artist and the author of Slowly Downward, Household Worms and Bad Island. '...it's a listening experience marked by its oddity, its vocabulary...it's a compelling and unsettling experience' - Financial Times Weekend 'With its mythical atmosphere and rhythmic pleas...this is a work that is best heard out loud' - The Guardian 'Ness goes beyond what we expect books to do. Beyond poetry, beyond the word, beyond the bomb -- it is an aftertime song' Max Porter, Booker-longlisted author of Grief is the Thing with Feathers Score by Hugh Brunt Co-produced by Hugh Brunt and Jake Miller Engineered and mixed by Jake Miller Field recordist: Peter Eason Recorded at Abbey Road Studios Soprano: Josephine Stephenson Assistant engineer: George Oulton Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios © Robert Macfarlane, Stanley Donwood 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Robert MacFarlane, Stanley Donwood (Author), Stephen Dillane (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lost Spells: The beautiful, illustrated nature book for children and adults of all ages

"Brought to you by Penguin. As the nights get darker and colder, curl up with voices of hope and renewal - feel the natural world come back to life around you . . . The Lost Spells is an audio treasure, a new collection of 'spells' - acrostic poetry and artwork - by writer Robert Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris. For those who loved The Lost Words - this is its little sister. Captivatingly read, calling to forest, field, riverbank, ocean and also to the heart, these 'spells' summon back what is often lost from sight and care. From Jay to Jackdaw, Oak to Barn Owl, Silver Birch to Grey Seal, they evoke the special spirit of each plant and creature. Above all, they celebrate a sense of wonder at nature's power to amaze, console and bring joy. Across a bewitching natural soundscape by renowned wildlife recordist Chris Watson, readers Yrsa Daley-Ward, Johnny Flynn and Julie Fowlis bring the magic of both nature and language to listeners in an immersive and unique audio experience. Praise for The Lost Words: 'Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language' Jeanette Winterson, Guardian 'Breathtaking, magical... Jackie Morris has created something that you could spend all day looking at' New Statesman 'Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty' Observer © Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane (Author), Johnny Flynn, Julie Fowlis, Robert Macfarlane, Yrsa Daley-Ward (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mountains Of The Mind: A History Of A Fascination

"WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN FIRST BOOK AWARD 'The most exhilarating history of mountaineering ... a riveting read' - Jeremy Paxman Once we thought monsters lived there. In the Enlightenment we scaled them to commune with the sublime. Soon, we were racing to conquer their summits in the name of national pride. In this ground-breaking, classic work, Robert Macfarlane takes us up into the mountains: to experience their shattering beauty, the fear and risk of adventure, and to explore the strange impulses that have for centuries lead us to the world's highest places."

Robert MacFarlane (Author), Simon Bubb (Narrator)

Audiobook

Underland: A Deep Time Journey - The bestselling nature book from the author of Is a River Alive?

"Brought to you by Penguin. Shortlisted for the Best Nonfiction Audiobook at the New York Festival Radio Awards 2020. A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2019 WINNER OF THE STANFORD DOLMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020 'You'd be crazy not to read this book' The Sunday Times A Guardian Best Book of the 21st Century From the internationally bestselling, prize-winning author of Landmarks, The Lost Words and The Old Ways In Underland, Robert Macfarlane takes us on a journey into the worlds beneath our feet. From the ice-blue depths of Greenland's glaciers, to the underground networks by which trees communicate, from Bronze Age burial chambers to the rock art of remote Arctic sea-caves, this is a deep-time voyage into the planet's past and future. Global in its geography, gripping in its voice and haunting in its implications, Underland is a work of huge range and power, and a remarkable new chapter in Macfarlane's long-term exploration of landscape and the human heart. SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2020 'Macfarlane has invented a new kind of book, really a new genre entirely' The Irish Times 'He is the great nature writer, and nature poet, of this generation' Wall Street Journal 'Macfarlane has shown how utterly beautiful a brilliantly written travel book can still be' Observer on The Old Ways 'Irradiated by a profound sense of wonder... Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly' Independent on Landmarks 'It sets the imagination tingling...like reading a prose Odyssey sprinkled with imagist poems' The Sunday Times on The Old Ways © Robert Macfarlane 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019"

Robert MacFarlane (Author), Roy Mcmillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lost Words: The bestselling, illustrated nature book – an enchanting read for all ages

"Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, read by Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK AWARD BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 The book that has taken root in schools across Britain, inspired creative thinkers, young and old, and restored the vanishing poetry of nature. All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children's minds. The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration - in art and word - of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages. Across a rich and vivid natural soundscape, Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah, iconic voices of modern Britain, bring the magic of nature and language to listeners. Through captivating readings, wonderful natural recordings and more, the audio edition of The Lost Words is a stunning celebration of the nature and the power of language. Includes listening notes by Chris Watson, wildlife and natural phenomena recordist, as a downloadable PDF. Praise for The Lost Words: 'The most beautiful and thought-provoking book I've read this year' Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer 'Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris have made a thing of astonishing beauty' Alex Preston, Observer 'My top book of the year' Susan Hill, Spectator 'Gorgeous to look at and to read. Give it to a child to bring back the magic of language - and its scope' Jeanette Winterson, Guardian"

Jackie Morris, Robert MacFarlane (Author), Benjamin Zephaniah, Cerys Matthews, Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey (Narrator)

Audiobook

Landmarks

"Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane, read by Roy McMillan SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE From the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS 'Few books give such a sense of enchantment; it is a book to give to many, and to return to repeatedly' Independent 'Enormously pleasurable, deeply moving. A bid to save our rich hoard of landscape language, and a blow struck for the power of a deep creative relationship to place' Financial Times 'A book that ought to be read by policymakers, educators, armchair environmentalists and active conservationists the world over' Guardian 'Gorgeous, thoughtful and lyrical' Independent on Sunday 'Feels as if [it] somehow grew out of the land itself. A delight' Sunday Times Discover Robert Macfarlane's joyous meditation on words, landscape and the relationship between the two. Words are grained into our landscapes, and landscapes are grained into our words. Landmarks is about the power of language to shape our sense of place. It is a field guide to the literature of nature, and a glossary containing thousands of remarkable words used in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales to describe land, nature and weather. Travelling from Cumbria to the Cairngorms, and exploring the landscapes of Roger Deakin, J. A. Baker, Nan Shepherd and others, Robert Macfarlane shows that language, well used, is a keen way of knowing landscape, and a vital means of coming to love it."

Robert MacFarlane (Author), Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

"THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE The original bestseller from the beloved author of UNDERLAND, LANDMARKS and THE LOST WORDS - Robert Macfarlane travels Britain's ancient paths and discovers the secrets of our beautiful, underappreciated landscape 'The Old Ways confirms Macfarlane's reputation as one of the most eloquent and observant of contemporary writers about nature' Scotland on Sunday Following the tracks, holloways, drove-roads and sea paths that form part of a vast ancient network of routes criss-crossing the British Isles and beyond, Robert Macfarlane discovers a lost world - a landscape of the feet and the mind, of pilgrimage and ritual, of stories and ghosts; above all of the places and journeys which inspire and inhabit our imaginations. 'Sublime . . . It sets the imagination tingling, laying an irresistible trail for readers to follow' Sunday Times 'Read this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again' Metro 'He has a rare physical intelligence and affords total immersion in place, elements and the passage of time: wonderful' Antony Gormley"

Robert MacFarlane (Author), Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Robert MacFarlane

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