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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/31/chris-packham-memoir-voted-uk-favourite-nature-writing-wind-in-the-willows-the-peregrine
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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Chris Packham memoir voted UK's favourite piece of nature writing | Chris Packham memoir voted UK's favourite piece of nature writing |
| (15 days later) | |
| Naturalist says choice is ‘Boaty McBoatface in book form’ after Fingers in the Sparkle Jar beats The Wind in the Willows and The Peregrine | Naturalist says choice is ‘Boaty McBoatface in book form’ after Fingers in the Sparkle Jar beats The Wind in the Willows and The Peregrine |
| Patrick Barkham | Patrick Barkham |
| Wed 31 Jan 2018 21.00 GMT | Wed 31 Jan 2018 21.00 GMT |
| Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 17.02 GMT | |
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| When academics asked readers to vote for Britain’s favourite piece of nature writing, they probably didn’t expect a celebrity memoir about Asperger’s to trounce otters, badgers and peregrines. | When academics asked readers to vote for Britain’s favourite piece of nature writing, they probably didn’t expect a celebrity memoir about Asperger’s to trounce otters, badgers and peregrines. |
| But Chris Packham has seen off famous poets and naturalists such as John Clare, Kathleen Jamie and Gilbert White, as well as much-loved children’s classics The Wind in the Willows and Tarka the Otter, to top the online poll organised by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. | But Chris Packham has seen off famous poets and naturalists such as John Clare, Kathleen Jamie and Gilbert White, as well as much-loved children’s classics The Wind in the Willows and Tarka the Otter, to top the online poll organised by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. |
| “It’s Boaty McBoatface in book form,” said Packham, reacting to the news that his acclaimed memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, was more popular than nature writing classics such as JA Baker’s The Peregrine and The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd. More than 7,000 votes were cast in the poll. | “It’s Boaty McBoatface in book form,” said Packham, reacting to the news that his acclaimed memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, was more popular than nature writing classics such as JA Baker’s The Peregrine and The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd. More than 7,000 votes were cast in the poll. |
| The broadcaster and naturalist said he would have chosen The Wind in the Willows from the 10-book shortlist, while his favourite-ever nature writing book was A Sand County Almanac by US writer Aldo Leopold. | The broadcaster and naturalist said he would have chosen The Wind in the Willows from the 10-book shortlist, while his favourite-ever nature writing book was A Sand County Almanac by US writer Aldo Leopold. |
| But Packham said “this odd accolade” had “brought a smile to my face” because it was recognition for the quality of his nature writing, and not just his depiction of Asperger syndrome. | But Packham said “this odd accolade” had “brought a smile to my face” because it was recognition for the quality of his nature writing, and not just his depiction of Asperger syndrome. |
| Fingers in the Sparkle Jar “achieved far beyond what I imagined it would in terms of connecting with people but I was pretty intensely disappointed that the nature writing within it had achieved no acclaim and little recognition,” said Packham. “Until this point, all of the attention on the book was about the Asperger’s. I put an enormous amount more effort into the nature writing than the Asperger’s. I worked really hard on all of the analogies and similes, making sure they were unique, that they were in a style that was novel and they were honest and truthful.” | Fingers in the Sparkle Jar “achieved far beyond what I imagined it would in terms of connecting with people but I was pretty intensely disappointed that the nature writing within it had achieved no acclaim and little recognition,” said Packham. “Until this point, all of the attention on the book was about the Asperger’s. I put an enormous amount more effort into the nature writing than the Asperger’s. I worked really hard on all of the analogies and similes, making sure they were unique, that they were in a style that was novel and they were honest and truthful.” |
| The vote is part of Land Lines, a two-year research project examining the history of modern nature writing from 1789, when Gilbert White’s The Natural History of Selborne was first published. | The vote is part of Land Lines, a two-year research project examining the history of modern nature writing from 1789, when Gilbert White’s The Natural History of Selborne was first published. |
| Dr Pippa Marland, research fellow on the Land Lines project at the University of Leeds, said Packham’s was “an outstanding book: raw and brave, and written with an astonishing vividness of perception and recall. | Dr Pippa Marland, research fellow on the Land Lines project at the University of Leeds, said Packham’s was “an outstanding book: raw and brave, and written with an astonishing vividness of perception and recall. |
| “With this memoir Chris has succeeded in attracting readers who would perhaps not usually pick up a ‘nature book’. Informative and heartbreaking in equal measure, and graced with a punk sensibility and wry sense of humour, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar is a work of great originality which pushes at the boundaries of the nature writing genre’.” | “With this memoir Chris has succeeded in attracting readers who would perhaps not usually pick up a ‘nature book’. Informative and heartbreaking in equal measure, and graced with a punk sensibility and wry sense of humour, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar is a work of great originality which pushes at the boundaries of the nature writing genre’.” |
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