Melissa Harrison – författare

'A state-of-the-countryside novel ... rich in detail but vast in scope' FINANCIAL TIMES'A stunning tale of rural life ... Harrison earns a nod to George Eliot' ALEXANDRA HARRIS, GUARDIAN'Extraordinary ... Harrison is a nonpareil describer of the natural world' INDIA KNIGHT'Wonderful ... an Under Milk Wood for the twenty-first century' AMY LIPTROT'Extraordinary ... The best serious fiction I've read this year' FRANCIS SPUFFORDA FINANCIAL TIMES AND OBSERVER BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2026A TIMES BOOK OF THE SUMMER 2026April brings spring surging with it, giving rise, among many in the village, to a comforting illusion that all is somehow still right with the world, and that nothing will ever change.In the ancient Welm Valley, something is shifting: the river is behaving oddly, while the arrival of spring, with its familiar rhythms, is shadowed by an undercurrent of unease.A woman falls while out walking and hopes to be found before nightfall; a doctor realises, too late, that he has long underestimated his wife; across the village, people are plagued by the same vast and unsettling dream. And alone in a converted priory, overlooking watermeadows unchanged for centuries, Clare Grey receives news which will force her to reconsider her family’s past and the fresh weight of her solitary existence.'Attuned, loving and thoughtful ... I loved its warmth and intricacy' SARAH MOSS'Nobody does nature better than Melissa Harrison' TRISTAN GOOLEY'Reminds us with every luminous sentence about the fragile grace of ordinary lives' EVIE WYLD

It is a time of awakening. In our ­fields, hedgerows and woodlands, our beaches, cities and parks, an almost imperceptible shift soon becomes a riot of sound and colour: winter ends, and life surges forth once more. Whether in town or country, we all share in this natural rhythm, in the joy and anticipation of the changing year.In prose and poetry both old and new, Spring mirrors the unfolding of the season, inviting us to see what’s around us with new eyes. Featuring original writing by Rob Cowen, Miriam Darlington and Stephen Moss, classic extracts from the work of George Orwell, Clare Leighton and H. E. Bates, and fresh new voices from across the UK, this is an original and inspiring collection of nature writing that brings the British springtime to life in all its vivid glory.

A wonderful meditation on the English landscape in wet weather by the acclaimed novelist and nature writer, Melissa Harrison.Whenever rain falls, our countryside changes. Fields, farms, hills and hedgerows appear altered, the wildlife behaves differently, and over time the terrain itself is transformed.In Rain, Melissa Harrison explores our relationship with the weather as she follows the course of four rain showers, in four seasons, across Wicken Fen, Shropshire, the Darent Valley and Dartmoor. Blending these expeditions with reading, research, memory and imagination, she reveals how rain is not just an essential element of the world around us, but a key part of our own identity too.

A wonderful meditation on the English landscape in wet weather by the acclaimed novelist and nature writer, Melissa Harrison.Whenever rain falls, our countryside changes. Fields, farms, hills and hedgerows appear altered, the wildlife behaves differently, and over time the terrain itself is transformed.In Rain, Melissa Harrison explores our relationship with the weather as she follows the course of four rain showers, in four seasons, across Wicken Fen, Shropshire, the Darent Valley and Dartmoor. Blending these expeditions with reading, research, memory and imagination, she reveals how rain is not just an essential element of the world around us, but a key part of our own identity too.

A SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEAR*UPDATED EDITION FEATURING EXTRA MATERIAL*A nature diary by award-winning novelist, nature writer and hit podcaster Melissa Harrison, following her journey from urban south London to the rural Suffolk countryside.'A writer of great gifts.' ROBERT MACFARLANE'The journal of a writer to compare to Thomas Hardy. Melissa Harrison is among our most celebrated nature writers.' JOHN CAREY, THE TIMESA Londoner for over twenty years, moving from flat to Tube to air-conditioned office, Melissa Harrison knew what it was to be insulated from the seasons. Adopting a dog and going on daily walks helped reconnect her with the cycle of the year and the quiet richness of nature all around her: swifts nesting in a nearby church; ivy-leaved toadflax growing out of brick walls; the first blackbird's song; an exhilarating glimpse of a hobby over Tooting Common.Moving from scrappy city verges to ancient, rural Suffolk, where Harrison eventually relocates, this diary - compiled from her beloved Nature Notebook column in The Times - maps her joyful engagement with the natural world and demonstrates how we must first learn to see, and then act to preserve, the beauty we have on our doorsteps - no matter where we live.A perceptive and powerful call-to-arms written in mesmerising prose, The Stubborn Light of Things confirms Harrison as a central voice in British nature writing.

A SUNDAY TIMES NATURE BOOK OF THE YEARA nature diary by award-winning novelist, nature writer and hit podcaster Melissa Harrison, following her journey from urban south London to the rural Suffolk countryside.'A writer of great gifts.' Robert Macfarlane'The journal of a writer to compare to Thomas Hardy. Melissa Harrison is among our most celebrated nature writers.' John Carey, The TimesA Londoner for over twenty years, moving from flat to Tube to air-conditioned office, Melissa Harrison knew what it was to be insulated from the seasons. Adopting a dog and going on daily walks helped reconnect her with the cycle of the year and the quiet richness of nature all around her: swifts nesting in a nearby church; ivy-leaved toadflax growing out of brick walls; the first blackbird's song; an exhilarating glimpse of a hobby over Tooting Common.Moving from scrappy city verges to ancient, rural Suffolk, where Harrison eventually relocates, this diary - compiled from her beloved Nature Notebook column in The Times - maps her joyful engagement with the natural world and demonstrates how we must first learn to see, and then act to preserve, the beauty we have on our doorsteps - no matter where we live.A perceptive and powerful call-to-arms written in mesmerising prose, The Stubborn Light of Things confirms Harrison as a central voice in British nature writing.

Woven out of wisdom, humour, experience, love, charm, and a poetic economy of words, here is one pithy, memorable lesson per page, beginning with the Beginning, and covering toddlerhood, the school years, spirituality, and, of course, love and romance. There are practical matters for first-time mothers of sons: watch out when you're changing his nappy. Baby boys shoot straight in the air. The whimsical yet invaluable suggestion: have tea with him in the afternoons. Serve cookies. Reminders about the importance of your own values: treat his father with love and respect. Show your son that being a man is a good thing.

Woven out of wisdom, humour, experience, love, charm, and a poetic economy of words, here is one pithy, memorable lesson per page, beginning with the Beginning, and covering toddlerhood, the school years, spirituality, and, of course, love and romance. The helpful reinforcement of principles for mums of daughters: give her a little rope, let her learn from her mistakes while the stakes aren't so high. The true voice of experience: fill your house with warmth, love, and joy, and you'll find it's also filled with her and her friends. And what to do when she's all grown up and getting ready to leave: tell her how much joy she's brought into your life.

Numerous studies have shown that individuals with eating disorders (EDs) have statistically higher rates of OCD and vice versa, yet there has been no comprehensive book dedicated to their comorbidity. This clinical guide fills that gap and provides a tool for health professionals working with patients presenting with both diagnoses. This book reviews the existing literature on the comorbidity of these disorders, and the perspectives of the authors' clinical practice working with OCD and EDs. Chapters cover clinical pitfalls, assessment, and suggested treatments, detailing the overlap between both illnesses and how comorbidity changes the overall presentations. The authors provide evidence-informed clinical suggestions for existing treatments, in addition to several case study examples, to highlight ways in which to better improve care for patients. A must-read for clinicians who have either experience with or want to expand their knowledge on how to assess and treat the co-occurrence of OCD and EDs.

A beautiful, full-colour guided nature journal from award-winning novelist and nature writer Melissa Harrison, shortlisted for the 2025 Wainwright Prize 'Nobody writes about the natural world like her'INDIA KNIGHT'Absolutely gorgeous . . . never has there been a nicer way to learn'KATE BRADBURYWelcome to your own, personal nature journal, and a new way of being in the world.A year-long course in noticing, you can start in any month and follow the stories unfolding around you -wherever you live. Featuring monthly guides, birdsong to listen out for, beautiful illustrations, checklists and tips, Homecoming will help you connect to nature, boost your wellbeing and plug you back into the rhythm of the seasons.Write down the very best thing you experience in nature each day and learn how to establish your own rituals, high points and habits to carry you through the year.

Eight-year-old TC skips school to explore the city''s overgrown, forgotten corners. Sophia, seventy-eight, watches with concern as he slips past her window, through the little park she loves. She''s writing to her granddaughter, Daisy, whose privileged upbringing means she exists in a different world from TC – though the two children live less than a mile apart. Jozef spends his days doing house clearances, his nights working in a takeaway. He can''t forget the farm he left behind in Poland, its woods and fields still a part of him, although he is a thousand miles away. When he meets TC he finds a kindred spirit: both lonely, both looking for something, both lost.

Eight-year-old TC skips school to explore the city’s overgrown, forgotten corners. Sophia, seventy-eight, watches with concern as he slips past her window, through the little park she loves. She’s writing to her granddaughter, Daisy, whose privileged upbringing means she exists in a different world from TC – though the two children live less than a mile apart.Jozef spends his days doing house clearances, his nights working in a takeaway. He can’t forget the farm he left behind in Poland, its woods and fields still a part of him, although he is a thousand miles away. When he meets TC he finds a kindred spirit: both lonely, both looking for something, both lost.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2015LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016 Four-thirty on a May morning: the black fading to blue, dawn gathering somewhere below the treeline in the east. A long, straight road runs between sleeping fields to the little village of Lodeshill, and on it two cars lie wrecked and ravished, violence gathered about them in the silent air. One wheel, upturned, still spins.Howard and Kitty have recently moved to Lodeshill after a life spent in London; now, their marriage is wordlessly falling apart. Custom car enthusiast Jamie has lived in the village for all of his nineteen years and dreams of leaving it behind, while Jack, a vagrant farm-worker and mystic in flight from a bail hostel, arrives in the village on foot one spring morning, bringing change. All four of them are struggling to find a life in the modern countryside; all are trying to find ways to belong.Building to an extraordinary climax over the course of one spring month, At Hawthorn Time is both a clear-eyed picture of rural Britain, and a heartbreaking exploration of love, land and loss.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2015LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016 Four-thirty on a May morning: the black fading to blue, dawn gathering somewhere below the treeline in the east. A long, straight road runs between sleeping fields to the little village of Lodeshill, and on it two cars lie wrecked and ravished, violence gathered about them in the silent air. One wheel, upturned, still spins.Howard and Kitty have recently moved to Lodeshill after a life spent in London; now, their marriage is wordlessly falling apart. Custom car enthusiast Jamie has lived in the village for all of his nineteen years and dreams of leaving it behind, while Jack, a vagrant farm-worker and mystic in flight from a bail hostel, arrives in the village on foot one spring morning, bringing change. All four of them are struggling to find a life in the modern countryside; all are trying to find ways to belong.Building to an extraordinary climax over the course of one spring month, At Hawthorn Time is both a clear-eyed picture of rural Britain, and a heartbreaking exploration of love, land and loss.

‘A masterpiece’ JON MCGREGOR‘Impossible to forget’ THE TIMES‘Astonishing’ GUARDIAN‘Startling’ FINANCIAL TIMESWINNER OF THE EU PRIZE FOR LITERATURE'BOOK OF THE YEAR' NEW STATESMAN, OBSERVER, IRISH TIMES, BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE The fields were eternal, our life the only way of things, and I would do whatever was required of me to protect it.The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful Edie Mather can remember, though the Great War still casts a shadow over the cornfields of her beloved home, Wych Farm.When charismatic, outspoken Constance FitzAllen arrives from London to write about fading rural traditions, she takes an interest in fourteen-year-old Edie, showing her a kindness she has never known before. But the older woman isn’t quite what she seems.As harvest time approaches and pressures mount on the whole community, Edie must find a way to trust her instincts and save herself from disaster.

''A masterpiece'' JON MCGREGOR''Impossible to forget'' THE TIMES''Astonishing'' GUARDIAN''Startling'' FINANCIAL TIMESWINNER OF THE EU PRIZE FOR LITERATURE''BOOK OF THE YEAR'' NEW STATESMAN, OBSERVER, IRISH TIMES, BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE The fields were eternal, our life the only way of things, and I would do whatever was required of me to protect it.The autumn of 1933 is the most beautiful Edie Mather can remember, though the Great War still casts a shadow over the cornfields of her beloved home, Wych Farm.When charismatic, outspoken Constance FitzAllen arrives from London to write about fading rural traditions, she takes an interest in fourteen-year-old Edie, showing her a kindness she has never known before. But the older woman isn''t quite what she seems.As harvest time approaches and pressures mount on the whole community, Edie must find a way to trust her instincts and save herself from disaster.

It is dawn on a May morning. On a long straight road between two sleeping fields a car slows as it arrives at the scene of an accident.Howard and Kitty have been married for thirty years and now sleep in different rooms. They do not discuss it. It was always Kitty''s dream to move from their corner of north London into the countryside, and when the kids were gone they moved to the village of Lodeshill. Howard often wonders if anyone who lives in this place has a reason to be there.Jack was once a rural rebel, a protestor who only ever wanted the freedom to walk alone in his own country. Having finished another stint in prison for trespassing, he sets off once more, walking north with his old battered backpack.Jamie is a nineteen-year-old Lodeshill boy who works in a distribution center and has a Saturday job at the bakery. He spent his childhood exploring the land with his grandfather and playing with Alex who lived in the farmhouse next-door.As the lives of these people overlap, we realize that mysterious layers of history are not only buried within them, but also locked into the landscape. A captivating novel, At Hawthorn Time is about identity, consumerism, changing boundaries and our own long, straight path into the unknown.

Summer is a season of richness: gold against blue; sun dazzle on water; sweet fragrance, and the sound of insects, filling the air. We feel the sand between our toes, or the grass beneath our feet. In these long, warm days, languid and sensual, we reconnect with the natural world, revelling in light and scent and colour once more.Capturing the high point of the year's progress, Summer presents prose and poetry spanning eight hundred years. Featuring new contributions by Simon Barnes, Michael McCarthy and Esther Woolfson, classic extracts from the work of Charles Dickens, Mary Webb and Philip Larkin, and diverse new nature writing from across the UK, this vibrant and evocative collection will inspire you to go out and enjoy the pleasures of summer.

Autumn is a time of transformation. Crisp, clear days mark summer’s close and usher in a new season with its rich scents and vivid palette, leaves flaming red and gold by day, bonfires and fireworks lighting up the lengthening nights. There is abundance, as humans and animals make stores for the winter; and there is decay, which gives rise to the next cycle of life.In prose and poetry from across the British Isles, Autumn captures both the exhilaration and the melancholy of this turning point in the year. Featuring original writing by Horatio Clare, John Lewis-Stempel and Amy Liptrot, classic extracts from the work of Ted Hughes, Helen Macdonald and Nan Shepherd, and a wealth of fresh new voices, Autumn is an evocative celebration of the year’s decline – and new beginnings.

Winter is a withdrawal: quiet and dark and cold. But in the dim light frost shimmers, stars twinkle and hearths blaze as we come together to keep out the chill. In spite of the season, life persists: visiting birds fill our skies, familiar creatures find clever ways to survive, and the world reveals winter riches to those willing to venture outdoors.In prose and poetry spanning seven hundred years, Winter delights in the brisk pleasures and enduring beauty of the year's turning. Featuring new writing from Patrick Barkham, Satish Kumar and Anita Sethi, extracts from the work of Robert Macfarlane, James Joyce and Kathleen Jamie, and a range of exciting new voices from across the UK, this invigorating collection evokes the joys and the consolations of this magical time of year.

A breathtaking tale of the rich, wild world and all itswonder from acclaimed nature writer and Costa Award-shortlistednovelist, Melissa Harrison - the perfect read for spring!SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS 2021CHOSEN AS ONE OF COUNTRYFILE'S BEST NATURE BOOKS OF 2021'Timely and magical, it will open the young reader's eyesto the wonders of the natural world.' NATASHA FARRANT'Each page brims with the wonder of our natural world, somuch to learn but all a sheer delight.' PIERS TORDAYThree tiny, ancient beings - Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, once reveredas Guardians of the Wild World - wake from winter hibernationin their beloved ash tree home.When it is destroyed, they set off on an adventure to find moreof their kind, a journey which takes them first into the deep countrysideand then the heart of a city.Helped along the way by birds and animals, the trio search fora way to survive and thrive in a precious yet disappearing world... The breathtaking children's debut from acclaimed naturewriter and literary fiction novelist, Melissa Harrison: shortlistedfor the Costa Book Award and longlisted for the Baileys PrizeInspired by 1942 classic The Little Grey Menby BB, with shades of The BorrowersA tale of disappearing wilderness that couldn't be morerelevant in today's environmental crisis, brought to life forchildren by three tiny, funny, eternal beingsContinue the adventure in book 2, By Rowan and Yew!

From acclaimed nature writer and author of By Ash,Oak and Thorn Melissa Harrison comes a cosy autumnal read,perfect for curling up by the fire with! PRAISE FOR BY ASH, OAK AND THORN:'Timely and magical, it will open the young reader'seyes to the wonders of the natural world.' NATASHAFARRANT'Each page brims with the wonderof our natural world, so much to learn but all a sheer delight.'PIERS TORDAYAs autumn arrives, Moss, Sorrel, Burnet and Dormer decide to returnhome to Ash Row to unravel a riddle that might explain whytheir kind are fading from the Wild World.When you're only one-hand high, it's a journey filled with bothdanger and delight: golden leaves, shiny conkers and the brightestof berries, but also storms and the first frost of winter.They have friendship, good sense and humour on their side, butwill it be enough to secure a future for the Hidden Folk? Or willthey need to go further, and find a way to work with the most unreliableof creatures ... humans?A tale of disappearingwilderness that couldn't be more relevant in today'senvironmental crisis, brought to life for children by three tiny,funny, eternal beings – the hidden folk. From acclaimed nature writer and literary fiction novelist,Melissa HarrisonSet in the same world as By Ash, Oak and Thorn;cosy, whimsical and charming, with shades of The BorrowersMelissa Harrison has been shortlisted for the Costa BookAward and longlisted for the Baileys PrizeBy Ash, Oak and Thorn was chosen as one of Countryfile'sbest books of 2021