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Helen Macdonald’s misery memoir with talons wins Samuel Johnson prize Helen Macdonald’s ‘extraordinary’ memoir wins Samuel Johnson prize
(about 1 hour later)
Describing the first time she laid eyes on Mabel, the hawk that would form the centrepiece of her life for over five years, Helen Macdonald’s book recalls her as “a conjuring trick. A reptile. A fallen angel. A griffon from the pages of an illuminated bestiary. Something bright and distant, like gold falling through water.”Describing the first time she laid eyes on Mabel, the hawk that would form the centrepiece of her life for over five years, Helen Macdonald’s book recalls her as “a conjuring trick. A reptile. A fallen angel. A griffon from the pages of an illuminated bestiary. Something bright and distant, like gold falling through water.”
It is this unique, lyrical depiction of the relationship between human and wild falcon that led the judges of this year’s Samuel Johnson prize to name Macdonald’s book, H is for Hawk, the winner of the most prestigious accolade in nonfiction.It is this unique, lyrical depiction of the relationship between human and wild falcon that led the judges of this year’s Samuel Johnson prize to name Macdonald’s book, H is for Hawk, the winner of the most prestigious accolade in nonfiction.
Part misery memoir, part naturalist diary, the book, documenting Macdonald’s attempts to win the trust of her goshawk Mabel as she struggled to deal with the death of her father, was described by the chair of the judging panel, Claire Tomalin, as “an extraordinary book that displayed an originality and a poetic power. None of us on the panel were either naturalists or wildlife enthusiasts but this book just took hold of us.”Part misery memoir, part naturalist diary, the book, documenting Macdonald’s attempts to win the trust of her goshawk Mabel as she struggled to deal with the death of her father, was described by the chair of the judging panel, Claire Tomalin, as “an extraordinary book that displayed an originality and a poetic power. None of us on the panel were either naturalists or wildlife enthusiasts but this book just took hold of us.”
The book is the first memoir to win the Samuel Johnson prize, which comes with a £20,000 cheque for the winner, in its 16-year history.The book is the first memoir to win the Samuel Johnson prize, which comes with a £20,000 cheque for the winner, in its 16-year history.
A poet, historian, naturalist, illustrator and Cambridge academic, Macdonald has had a love of birds since she was a child and after university went to breed falcons for an organisation that supplied sheikhs in Gulf states with birds. She has written one other book, an academic history of falconry, but the story told in H is for Hawk is one that was deeply personal to Macdonald, and it took her almost seven years to put it on to paper.A poet, historian, naturalist, illustrator and Cambridge academic, Macdonald has had a love of birds since she was a child and after university went to breed falcons for an organisation that supplied sheikhs in Gulf states with birds. She has written one other book, an academic history of falconry, but the story told in H is for Hawk is one that was deeply personal to Macdonald, and it took her almost seven years to put it on to paper.
It opens with the sudden death of her father, Alisdair, a Fleet Street photojournalist, from a heart attack. In the wake of his death, Macdonald buys a goshawk for £800 and begins the slow and often painful journey of its training at her home in Cambridge while dealing with her own depression.It opens with the sudden death of her father, Alisdair, a Fleet Street photojournalist, from a heart attack. In the wake of his death, Macdonald buys a goshawk for £800 and begins the slow and often painful journey of its training at her home in Cambridge while dealing with her own depression.
Tomalin said that while the shortlist had been very strong this year, Macdonald’s book had proved a universal favourite with the panel.Tomalin said that while the shortlist had been very strong this year, Macdonald’s book had proved a universal favourite with the panel.
“It is certainly a very unusual book,” she said. “As part of the judging process we each made a pitch for our top books, and it was very quickly apparent that Helen’s book was coming out above all the others. It just fitted every criteria we were looking for – everything from originality and beauty of writing and even considerations such as, ‘if you had one book to give a friend which would it be?’, and ‘which book do you think will still be read in 20 years’ time?’”“It is certainly a very unusual book,” she said. “As part of the judging process we each made a pitch for our top books, and it was very quickly apparent that Helen’s book was coming out above all the others. It just fitted every criteria we were looking for – everything from originality and beauty of writing and even considerations such as, ‘if you had one book to give a friend which would it be?’, and ‘which book do you think will still be read in 20 years’ time?’”
Tomalin added: “It is very extraordinary because some people call it a wildlife book but of course it is much more than that. It’s a memoir of mourning, a history of falconry, and has this wonderful special vocabulary of falconry. The book is interesting linguistically and interesting technically. Helen describes the process of training a hawk so vividly, you are right there with her. At one point she talks about holding the hawk Mabel and says she can feel her heart had synchronised its beating with the heart of the terrified hawk. It is wonderful.”Tomalin added: “It is very extraordinary because some people call it a wildlife book but of course it is much more than that. It’s a memoir of mourning, a history of falconry, and has this wonderful special vocabulary of falconry. The book is interesting linguistically and interesting technically. Helen describes the process of training a hawk so vividly, you are right there with her. At one point she talks about holding the hawk Mabel and says she can feel her heart had synchronised its beating with the heart of the terrified hawk. It is wonderful.”
As well as exploring Macdonald’s own often obsessive relationship with her hawk, the book is an academic exploration of the author TH White, known for The Once and Future King, his sequence of four books based on Arthurian legend. White wrote a book, The Goshawk, about his own ill-fated attempts to train such a bird. McDonald’s depth of research into White also attracted praise from the Samuel Johnson panel.As well as exploring Macdonald’s own often obsessive relationship with her hawk, the book is an academic exploration of the author TH White, known for The Once and Future King, his sequence of four books based on Arthurian legend. White wrote a book, The Goshawk, about his own ill-fated attempts to train such a bird. McDonald’s depth of research into White also attracted praise from the Samuel Johnson panel.
“She’s actually gone off to Texas and looked up all his papers and so she’s woven that story of TH White, who had an unsuccessful time with his goshawk, into her own story,” said Tomalin.“She’s actually gone off to Texas and looked up all his papers and so she’s woven that story of TH White, who had an unsuccessful time with his goshawk, into her own story,” said Tomalin.
“I think the memoir is basic to English writing, people have used memoir to write books that have much more intensity and power than most history writing. The book is in no way sentimental, it doesn’t cut any corners and her powers of observation are acute and she can convey complex and shifting states of mind. Helen goes almost mad at one point with the hawk and she describes that very coolly and very well,” said Tomalin.“I think the memoir is basic to English writing, people have used memoir to write books that have much more intensity and power than most history writing. The book is in no way sentimental, it doesn’t cut any corners and her powers of observation are acute and she can convey complex and shifting states of mind. Helen goes almost mad at one point with the hawk and she describes that very coolly and very well,” said Tomalin.
Macdonald’s book, the favourite, beat off competition from the other memoir on the shortlist, The Iceberg, Marion Coutts’s book about her husband’s death from a brain tumour, as well as Greg Grandin’s The Empire of Necessity, John Campbell’s biography of politician Roy Jenkins, A Well-Rounded Life, Alison Light’s Common People and Caroline Moorehead’s Village of Secrets, which tells the stories of villagers from Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and those they hid from the Nazis. All those on the shortlist receive £1,000.Macdonald’s book, the favourite, beat off competition from the other memoir on the shortlist, The Iceberg, Marion Coutts’s book about her husband’s death from a brain tumour, as well as Greg Grandin’s The Empire of Necessity, John Campbell’s biography of politician Roy Jenkins, A Well-Rounded Life, Alison Light’s Common People and Caroline Moorehead’s Village of Secrets, which tells the stories of villagers from Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and those they hid from the Nazis. All those on the shortlist receive £1,000.