Peatlands

Countryfile Book of the Year

By: Alys Fowler

Narrated by: Alys Fowler

'Why do I like bogs so much? I think it is because I feel very at home with them, I think this has something to do with my queerness and their queer nature as a space.'

The value of peat bogs as a natural resource and haven of biodiversity is undisputed, yet few of us have been lucky enough to experience their beauty and richness. In Peatlands, Wainwright Prize-shortlisted author Alys Fowler calls for us to sink deep into the dark, black soils of these rugged places and take a close look at the birds, animals, plants and insects that live within them.

Living in North Wales next to a huge peat bog makes Alys Fowler's Peatlands both personal and illuminating. Her odyssey takes her deep into the Flow Country, to the remote Border Mires, up the Brecon Beacons and the Peak District, creating an intimate picture of these magical places and the people who care for them.©2025 Alys Fowler

Critic reviews

A fascinating, impassioned invitation into the hidden mystery of bogs, at once archive of the deep past and vital living component of our future landscape. (Olivia Laing)

Peatlands is enchanting. Alys Fowler brings every glinting nuance of bogs-their beauty and necessity-to the foreground and to life in this book. If you've ever looked at a wetland and wanted to know it better, Fowler is an ideal guide: knowledgeable, passionate, and above all, joyous and personable in her prose. (Jessica J. Lee)

The book throws a sharp light on the plight of bogs - places that come spectacularly to life under Fowler's analytic and passionate gaze. A delight to read but also a sobering education. (Tom Stuart-Smith)

The curious, still silence of peat bogs is so much at odds with their deep and ancient complexities. This book, so immersive, thoughtfully penned and well-observed makes an intimate connection to these often overlooked and enormously precious places. It makes you want to tread lightly and to look deeper. (Dan Pearson)