Chennai naturalist’s book on coastal ecology shortlisted for prestigious UK nature writing prize

Chennai-based writer and naturalist Yuvan Aves’ book ‘Intertidal’, a nature journal chronicling two years of observations in Chennai’s coastal habitats, has been shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing, a U.K. literary award given annually to books celebrating outdoors, nature, and conservation. 

This makes Mr. Aves — the author of two books on ecology and four children’s books — the first South Asian writer to be nominated for the prize named after renowned British fellwalker and author Alfred Wainwright. 

Intertidal weaves together vivid field notes with philosophical reflections on the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Through stories of local ecology, communities, and personal meditation, the book calls for a more inclusive and ecologically sensitive way of living.

“Intertidal came out of multiple campaigns for places in and around the city like Pulicat, Kazhuveli, and Adyar Loop Road. This is when I started shore walks for people, to show them that the beach is a beautiful place full of life. The book is a combination of advocacy, my life, and my experience as a nature educator,” says Mr. Aves, who is also the founder-managing trustee of Palluyir Trust for Nature Education and Research.

Yuvan Aves is the author of two books on ecology and four children’s books. He is the recipient of the M. Krishnan Memorial Nature Writing Award.
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He says he was happy, when he heard about the announcement, but he adds that it’s a skeptical kind of happiness, as many contemporary nature writers are just as deserving of the honour.

“There’s a lot of Indian nature writing out there, but we grew up mostly on Western literature. Even Western accounts of their own landscapes occupy more shelf space in Indian bookstores. But not the other way around. Much of their [Western] writing leans heavily into romanticism and sentimentality, or what George Orwell called ‘purple prose’, when it turns its gaze toward India. But writing about nature here can’t afford to be apolitical; it has to contend with the complexities of caste, community,” he says.