Morris & Macfarlane Unveil The Book of Birds
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- The Book of Birds is a new collaboration between artist Jackie Morris and writer Robert Macfarlane, focusing on 49 species on the British red or amber list of declining and endangered birds.
- The Wonder of Birds exhibition at the Bodleian Library opens on 6 May, showcasing unseen work by Emma Turner, John James Audubon, and Percy Bysshe Shelley's handwritten annotations for "To a Skylark."
- The Lost Words previously sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide, was donated to over three‑quarters of primary schools in England, Wales, and Scotland, and inspired concerts, albums, theatre, murals, puzzles, and board games.
- Jackie Morris says she hopes the book will give young people an "anchor and also wings," making birds visible to those who don’t see them.
- Robert Macfarlane notes that there are three billion fewer birds in North America and 600 million fewer in Europe compared with 50 years ago, framing the book as a warning against avian loss.
- Penguin Books Ltd publishes The Book of Birds for £35, and the Guardian's bookshop offers it for order.
Why it matters: The Book of Birds gives teachers and children a vivid, poetic resource on 49 threatened UK birds, turning abstract population declines—three billion fewer in North America, 600 million fewer in Europe—into personal stories that could spur conservation awareness and inspire action among readers.
