Nan Shepherd Prize: Rewriting the Rules on Nature Writing

With only a few years under its belt, the Nan Shepherd Prize has already changed the framework for what it means to write about the natural world in the UK. Launched in 2019, the prize - named after beloved Scottish writer Nan Shepherd - aims to celebrate new and emerging nature writers from underrepresented backgrounds.

The prize’s inaugural winner, Nina Mingya Powles, went on to publish the acclaimed Small Bodies of Water in 2021 - a lyrical exploration of natural environments and life between cultures.

The writer Rhiannon Bull, shortlisted in 2021 for her mix of personal narrative, myth and women’s land rights in Healing Ground, will be with us share reflections on nature writing and its meaning, reach and power today, alongside Caro Clarke, who co-founded the Nan Shepherd Prize!

Sadly Nina Mingya Powles is no longer able to join us. We will however be discussing her book Small Bodies of Water for our next Nature In Colour event,

Our Speakers:

Rhiannon Bull is a writer, illustrator, and forager based in Edinburgh. Her nature writing has previously been published in Summer: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons, edited by Melissa Harrison, and she was shortlisted for the 2016 Bath Short Story Award, with her submission published in the annual anthology. She is currently working on fiction and non-fiction projects that explore queer experiences of the natural world. (NB Her book Healing Ground is yet to be published!)

Caro Clarke is a literary agent with over ten years' experience in publishing and in 2021 they were named Rights Professional of the Year at the British Book Awards. Their work on the Nan Shepherd prize kickstarted a passion to demystify the publishing industry and help emerging writers to develop their craft and build their writing careers. Portobello Literary was established in 2022 to build on that work.

Our host for this event is Rebecca Smith.

Rebecca Smith is author and radio producer. Her debut book is called Estate: the Lives of the Rural Working-Class and is about rural industry, housing and the connection to land whether we own it or not. It will be published by William Collins in Spring 2023.