Wainwright Winners Announced
The winners of the 2025 Wainwright Prize for nature and conservation writing have been announced, including the three winners of the children’s books categories. The prize ceremony took place at FarmED in Oxfordshire on Wednesday 10th September.
The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Fiction has been won by Wildlands by Brogen Murphy (Puffin Books), and winner of the Children’s Wainwright Prize for Non-Fiction is University of Cambridge: Think Big: Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare, illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti (Nosy Crow.)
For the first time in the Wainwright Prize history, an author has been highly commended posthumously: the late Benjamin Zephaniah’s Leave the Trees, Please, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon, is highly commended in the Picture Books category.
The Picture Books Award itself went to Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield, illustrated by Hoang Giang (Puffin Books) and described as ‘a story about the power of nature to bring communities together’. Flower Block was also chosen as 2025 Wainwright Children’s Prize Book of the Year.
Chair of the children’s category judges Blue Peter Presenter Mwaka Mudenda said, 
‘Flower Block is a beautifully told story brought to life by stunning artwork and kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved the rich diversity of the characters – a reminder of the beauty in our differences and the strength of community. As nature brings everyone together, the story gently shows that caring for the planet is something we can all be part of, no matter who we are or where we come from.’
Her fellow judges for the Children’s Prizes this year are evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Ella Al-Shamahi (Children’s Non-Fiction); children’s writer Uju Asika (Children’s Fiction).
The overall winners receive a prize of £2,500, with the picture book award jointly shared by author and illustrator. Category winners were awarded £500 each.
The Wainwright Prize is named in honour of Alfred Wainwright, the much-loved British author, illustrator, and fellwalker best known for his iconic Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells (Frances Lincoln).
