At an event at The White Horse Bookshop on 3 June 2017, the prize was awarded to British palaeontologist, natural historian, writer and broadcaster Richard Fortey and best met the criterion of reflecting themes or topics broadly consistent with Jefferies’ writing.

John Price, Chairman of the Richard Jefferies Society said: “With a strong sense of place in Fortey’s recording of the passage of the year in the woodland, we felt that the book was a worthy successor to Jefferies’ writing.”

Left to right: Angus Maclennan, John Price, Richard Fortey

Angus Maclennan, Manager of The White Horse Bookshop added: “In this golden era for nature writing we are delighted to award Richard Fortey for his intimate portrait of our environment and our place within it. It strikes the perfect balance between science and sensibility.”

The short-list was:

The Nature of Autumn, by Jim Crumley, published by Saraband.
The Running Hare, by John Lewis-Stempel, published by Doubleday.
Six Facets of Light, by Ann Wroe, published by Jonathan Cape.
Walking Through Spring, by Graham Hoyland, published by William Collins.
The Wood for the Trees, by Richard Fortey, published by William Collins.