Robert Macfarlane is an internationally acclaimed British writer, scholar, and environmental advocate whose work explores the deep connections between people, place, language, and the natural world—particularly rivers, mountains, and wild creatures. He is the author of numerous award-winning books, including Mountains of the Mind, The Old Ways, Landmarks, Underland, and, with the artist Jackie Morris, The Book of Birds – A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss. His New York Times-bestselling 2025 book, Is A River Alive?, explores ideas of rivers not as mere resources but rather life-forces; beings with deaths, lives, and even rights.

A Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Macfarlane writes at the intersection of storytelling, history, and ecology, considering how human memory and meaning-making are shaped by landscapes –– and shape them in return. His work has been translated into more than 30 languages, widely adapted for screen, stage, and music, and has earned major literary honors, including the E.M. Forster Award for Literature. Through his writing and advocacy, he has become a leading voice in global conversations about conservation, rewilding, and the protection of rivers, wild places, and wildlife.”