Robert Macfarlane

Robert MacFarlane is a celebrated British writer whose books on nature, landscape, and travel have won numerous awards and earned him an international audience. In addition to writing best-selling books like Landmarks (2015) and Underland (2019), he is also a poet, lyricist, and songwriter. Among his musical collaborations are the Spell Songs project and two albums co-written with British folk singer/songwriter Johnny Flynn.

MacFarlane's first book, Mountains of the Mind, was published in 2003. It introduced readers to his deeply researched ruminations on nature, geological and human history, and his ongoing fascination with the landscapes of his native U.K. He went on to publish award-winning works like The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot (2012), Landmarks (2015), and Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019) and has become one of Britain's most revered nature writers.

Throughout his career, MacFarlane has also maintained a passion for music and has contributed lyrics and poems to a number of projects. He wrote the libretto for composer Arnie Somogyi's 2012 jazz opera, Untrue Island. The Lost Words (2017) and The Lost Spells (2020), two books he published in conjunction with illustrator Jackie Morris, were the inspiration for the project Spell Songs featuring an all-star lineup of U.K. folk musicians like Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Kris Drever, and Beth Porter. In 2020, MacFarlane began a songwriting partnership with acclaimed indie folk artist Johnny Flynn that resulted in the co-billed 2021 album Lost in the Cedar Wood. The duo recorded a sequel, The Moon Also Rises, released in 2023. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi