Hamish Hamilton and Penguin Books UK are delighted to have acquired ''The Lost Words: A Spell-Book,'' a unique collaborative project by writer Robert Macfarlane and artist Jackie Morris, for readers of all ages.
Robert Macfarlane comments: 'The deletion of these vital words from the OJD isn't the dictionary's fault — but our own for failing to use them. This year, Oxford University Press declared 'hashtag' to be the 'children's word of the year', having surveyed at 120,000 stories written by children aged 5-13. Technology is miraculous – but so is nature, and Jackie and I wanted to find a way to release these simple wonder-words back into their stories and their dreams. I'm in awe of Jackie's talent as an artist, and cannot wait to make this book with her.'
In response to the culling of nature words – from 'acorn' to 'willow' via 'kingfisher' and 'otter' – from the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary, Robert and Jackie are making a dazzling full-colour 'spell book' in over-sized format – a beautiful book of spells and spell-ings that seeks to re-wild the language of readers young and old. Structured around twenty of these 'lost' words, this remarkable book will put nature back into the mouths and the mind's eyes of children and adults alike, through the magical interplay of artwork and text. Jackie Morris is an artist, writer and photographer, living and working from a small cottage beside the sea in Wales. She has worked on many books over the years including How the Whale Became, and Other Stories by Ted Hughes (2000) and The Snow Leopard (2008). She is drawn to the wild. Robert Macfarlane is the author of a series of award-winning, best-selling books about landscape, nature and imagination, including The Wild Places (2007), The Old Ways (2012) and Landmarks (2015). His work has been widely adapted for television and radio. He is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Simon Prosser, Publishing Director of Hamish Hamilton, acquired world rights for The Lost Words. A Spell-Book from Jessica Woollard at The Marsh Agency. Jackie Morris comments: 'When I heard about the reduction of the wild words from the OJD I was astonished. I have watched children's books moving away from the wild for some time now with the fashion for urban dystopia led by titles such as The Hunger Games. I hope that Robert and I can produce between us a book that gives a voice back to the wild and wild places and inspires a new generation of custodians of our planet, who understand the true value of a single kingfisher. I want to make a book that will delight the mind and the eye and send children to sleep dreaming of wild things.' Robert Macfarlane comments: 'The deletion of these vital words from the OJD isn't the dictionary's fault — but our own for failing to use them. This year, Oxford University Press declared 'hashtag' to be the 'children's word of the year', having surveyed at 120,000 stories written by children aged 5-13. Technology is miraculous – but so is nature, and Jackie and I wanted to find a way to release these simple wonder-words back into their stories and their dreams. I'm in awe of Jackie's talent as an artist, and cannot wait to make this book with her.' Simon Prosser comments: 'What a combination of writer and artist! This is going to be such a special book. Seeing Jackie's artwork and hearing Rob read his word-spells aloud, when we all met recently in London, literally made my spine tingle. I couldn't be happier to be working with them on this unique and wonderful project.' The Lost Words: A Spell-Book will be published by Hamish Hamilton in Spring 2017.Further information from Anna Ridley, aridley@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk, 020 7010 3278
http://www.booktrade.info/i.
see ALSO: THE UK newspaper THE TELEGRAPH
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11883209/New-childrens-book-to-bring-back-nature-words.html
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