The Blackbird Diaries shortlisted for Lakeland Book of the Year

Posted on June 4, 2018

Karen Lloyd’s The Blackbird Diaries has been named as a finalist for this year’s prestigious Lakeland Book of the Year awards.

Covering almost every genre and subject, from local history and nature to stunning Cumbrian photography, this year’s entries have been narrowed down to a shortlist of 15 by author and columnist Hunter Davies OBE, broadcaster and Cumbria Tourism Chairman Eric Robson and BBC newscaster and author Fiona Armstrong.

The finalists will have a tense wait until Tuesday 10 July for the winners to be announced. This year’s glittering charity luncheon at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal will be in support of St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston and the prizes will be awarded alongside entertaining comments and reviews from the judges.

As well as the ultimate accolade, the five additional prizes on offer are:

• The Striding Edge Productions Prize for Guides and Places
• The Latitude Press Prize for Illustration and Presentation
• The Zeffirellis Prize for People and Business
• The Bookends Prize for Arts and Literature
• The Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape and Tradition

In The Blackbird Diaries, Karen shares her deep-rooted affection for the very special wildlife of the Lake District, chronicling the perils and pleasures of the natural world over the course of a year as it all unfolds in her garden and the surrounding limestone peaks and valleys.

Karen’s previous book, The Gathering Tide – A journey around the edgelands of Morecambe Bay, scooped the Striding Edge Productions Prize for Guides and Places at the 2016 Lakeland Awards.