European Union Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (2019) Winner
Melissa Harrison
メリッサ・ハリソン
Melissa Harrison
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1975 （Effingham Junction, Surrey）
- Nationality
- British
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- London (former residence) → Suffolk (moved to rural area)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, nature writer, columnist, broadcaster, podcaster
- Active Years
- 1996-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | Faculty of English | English Literature | BA | — | United Kingdom |
University of Oxford
Faculty of English
/ English Literature
Degree:
BA
Year of Graduation:
1996
Country:
United Kingdom
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Costa Book Awards (Novel) | At Hawthorn Time | Novel | Costa Book Awards | Shortlisted |
| 2016 | Bailey Women's Prize for Fiction | — | — | Women's Prize for Fiction | Longlisted |
| 2016 | Wainwright Prize | Rain: Four Walks in English Weather | — | Wainwright Prize | Longlisted |
| 2019 | European Union Prize for Literature | All Among the Barley | — | European Union Prize for Literature | Won |
| 2021 | Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards (Children's) | By Ash, Oak and Thorn | Children's | Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards | Shortlisted |
| — | East Anglian Book Awards (Book of the Year) | The Stubborn Light of Things | Book of the Year | East Anglian Book Awards | Won |
| — | Independent Booksellers' Book Prize | — | — | Independent Booksellers' Book Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2022 | Wainwright Prize | By Rowan and Yew | — | Wainwright Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2025 | Wainwright Prize (Illustrative Books) | Homecoming: A Guided Journal to Lead You Back to Nature | Illustrative Books | Wainwright Prize | Shortlisted |
Costa Book Awards (Novel)
2015
Work:
At Hawthorn Time
Category:
Novel
Organization:
Costa Book Awards
Result:
Shortlisted
Bailey Women's Prize for Fiction
2016
Organization:
Women's Prize for Fiction
Result:
Longlisted
Wainwright Prize
2016
Work:
Rain: Four Walks in English Weather
Organization:
Wainwright Prize
Result:
Longlisted
European Union Prize for Literature
2019
Work:
All Among the Barley
Organization:
European Union Prize for Literature
Result:
Won
Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards (Children's)
2021
Work:
By Ash, Oak and Thorn
Category:
Children's
Organization:
Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards
Result:
Shortlisted
East Anglian Book Awards (Book of the Year)
Work:
The Stubborn Light of Things
Category:
Book of the Year
Organization:
East Anglian Book Awards
Result:
Won
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize
Organization:
Independent Booksellers' Book Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Wainwright Prize
2022
Work:
By Rowan and Yew
Organization:
Wainwright Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Wainwright Prize (Illustrative Books)
2025
Work:
Homecoming: A Guided Journal to Lead You Back to Nature
Category:
Illustrative Books
Organization:
Wainwright Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Clay
2013 NovelDebut novel blending vivid nature description with contemporary fiction.
naturehuman relationshipsobservations of daily life
At Hawthorn Time
2015 NovelA novel set against the changing seasons and nature, exploring family and suburban life.
seasonalityrural/suburban liferelationship with nature
All Among the Barley
2018 NovelSet in the early 20th-century countryside, it sensitively portrays human relationships and rural life.
rural lifeclass and relationshipssense of history
Rain: Four Walks in English Weather
2016 Non-fiction / Nature writingA series of four walks exploring rain and English weather, reflecting on climate and landscape.
weatherwalkingclimate and landscape
The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary
2020 Memoir / Nature writingA nature diary recounting her move from London to Suffolk and daily observations of the natural world.
relocationnature observationeveryday insights
By Ash, Oak and Thorn
2021 Children'sA children's story themed around nature, incorporating trees and a strong sense of season.
treesseasonsnature education
By Rowan and Yew
2022 Children'sA children's follow-up exploring themes of living in harmony with nature.
coexistencenaturecoming of age
Homecoming: A Guided Journal to Lead You Back to Nature
2025 Nature writing / Guided journalA guided journal encouraging a return to nature, structured for observation and personal record-keeping.
return to natureself-observationecology
Bibliography
- Clay (2013)
- At Hawthorn Time (2015)
- Rain: Four Walks in English Weather (2016)
- All Among the Barley (2018)
- The Stubborn Light of Things: A Nature Diary (2020)
- By Ash, Oak and Thorn (2021)
- By Rowan and Yew (2022)
- Homecoming: A Guided Journal to Lead You Back to Nature (2025)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- delicate, observant proseattention to natural detailcalm, introspective tone
- Recurring Motifs
- seasons and weathertrees and plantsrural landscapes and relocationeveryday observation
Legacy
A noted contemporary British nature writer and novelist. Praised for literature rooted in nature observation; recipient and nominee of several literary awards including the European Union Prize for Literature.
Trivia
- She moved from London to the rural Suffolk area.
- During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown she began the podcast 'The Stubborn Light of Things', which became the basis for her memoir of the same name.
- Has contributed to BBC programmes and written columns for publications such as The Guardian and The Times.