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The Lost Words cover art

The Lost Words

By: Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris
Narrated by: Guy Garvey, Edith Bowman, Benjamin Zephaniah, Cerys Matthews
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Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, read by Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

WINNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK AWARD

BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018

The book that has taken root in schools across Britain, inspired creative thinkers, young and old, and restored the vanishing poetry of nature.

All over the country, there are words disappearing from children's lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children's minds.

The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration - in art and word - of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris, this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.

Across a rich and vivid natural soundscape, Edith Bowman, Guy Garvey, Cerys Matthews and Benjamin Zephaniah, iconic voices of modern Britain, bring the magic of nature and language to listeners. Through captivating readings, wonderful natural recordings and more, the audio edition of The Lost Words is a stunning celebration of the nature and the power of language.

Includes listening notes by Chris Watson, wildlife and natural phenomena recordist, as a downloadable PDF.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.

©2018 Robert Macfarlane (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"My top book of the year...It is one of those children's books for ages up to 99 years. The lost words are those my generation and earlier ones used every day and which are fast disappearing, and Macfarlane's aim is to resurrect the everyday glories of our language. May he succeed." (Susan Hill) 

"Rapturously received celebration of nature." (The New Statesman)

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What listeners say about The Lost Words

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Magical

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Bright
Crescendos
Delight
Ears.
Fresh
Golden
Harmonies
Ignite
Joy.
Kind
Lilting
Melodies.
Nature's
Oral history.

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Calming

Beautiful and calming. Something that I will listen to many times. Great therapy whatever your circumstances!

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Heavenly.

Beautiful sound collages and wonderful narration. This is a very lovely piece of work. I'd recommend it highly.

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Excruciatingly Exquisite.

Full of glee, little gasps, smiles and surprises. Nail on the head, a total joy.

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Perfection

The birdsong, trickling water and other sounds accompanying the narration show how the right book, with the right readers, can be transcended through the audiobooks format. A lovely listed on a car journey.

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Beautiful

Beautiful book, lyrical performers, wish it was longer, a really enchanting listen enjoyed by me and my children

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Very sweet

This is a lovely bit of whimsy. Very soothing to listen to on audio, and a nice way to get your nature fix in the middle of winter.

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Bliss!

Wonderful. Loved every second of this. The sense of peace this gave me was worth every penny.

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Exquisite!

A divine audio experience - incredibly calming, restful and evocative. Everyone should listen to this to be reminded of the healing power of language and literature. 10 out of 10. Wow!

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beautifully read

i bought this and it's grand. i have also purchased the book. so i look forward to listening to this alongside reading & taking in the beautiful illustrations which I’ve heard so much about.

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