Across more than thirty books, author and rural historian Sally Coulthard has spent her career reminding readers that the countryside isn’t a backdrop, but a living place shaped by people, work, weather and tradition. Writing as a working smallholder herself, she covers everything from farming history and rural crafts to the animals and plants that make the countryside tick, with a style critics have called witty, accessible and deeply researched. Her books document skills and ways of life increasingly fragile in the face of environmental and economic change, creating a lasting cultural record while resisting both nostalgia and stereotype. Two of her recent titles were named among BBC Countryfile’s best nature books of 2025, and her work has been translated into 14 languages including Korean and Mongolian. A regular Country Living columnist for a decade, now writing for Yorkshire Life and a patron of Ryedale Folk Museum, she speaks at festivals across the country — ten events in the second half of 2026 alone — bringing rural Britain’s overlooked stories to audiences who might never otherwise encounter them. Readers need no prior knowledge of farming or conservation to connect with her work — curiosity is enough — and that accessibility has helped her build a readership that spans specialists and complete newcomers to rural life alike.
Nomination details
Why this matters
Sally’s outstanding contribution lies in her ability to preserve and reinterpret the stories of rural Britain for modern audiences. Through accessible, thoughtful storytelling, she has become one of the country’s most recognisable voices writing about the countryside – honestly, affectionately and with deep respect for the realities of rural life. She has written more than 30 books on: animals whose populations are in decline; farming traditions & history, conservation and rural crafts; natural history, folklore and celebrations of the natural world. Her style is witty and page turning, with carefully chosen observations and fascinating stories that cause the reader to pause, reflect and appreciate the natural world around us.
Praise for her books:
‘beautifully observed and carefully researched’. (Bridgit Strawbridge Howard)
‘Cheerful and informative company on every leaf of this charming book’. (the Spectator).
‘Sally Coulthard has a wonderful talent. She takes everyday items – plants, food, buildings, animals – and through the course of a book demonstrates just how wonderful, how interesting they can be. It is ’the history of things’ taken to the next level, where micro-histories are unpacked and extended to reveal not just the story of the object in question but the history of us and our world’. gethistory.co.uk.
‘Wonderful … A responsible perspective on animal conservation is underwritten by presentation of the shocking facts’. (Yorkshire Times)
‘A really lovely, fascinating book. I dived straight into this clever, joyous, celebration of nature, history, and – of course – the countryside.’ Charles Spencer
‘Relaxed and conversational, I couldn’t put it down’. Francis Pryor
‘Sally Coulthard is able to conjure a wonderful sense of intimacy with the lives of the past’. Adam Nicolson
‘Everyone of the hundred objects comes to glorious life in this colourful romp through rural history. A heady joy that I am delighted to recommend’. John Wright
Waterstones named A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE IN 100 OBJECTS one of the best Nature Writing books of 2024.
BOOK OF THE BARN OWL and BOOK OF THE EARTHWORM were BBC Countryfile’s Best Nature Books of 2025.
Impact
Sally’s work has had a meaningful impact on both rural and urban audiences. For rural communities, her writing offers something increasingly rare: recognition. She captures the dignity and texture of rural lives without caricature or sentimentality, helping ensure countryside communities feel seen rather than overlooked. Many readers recognise their own histories, families and experiences in her work, while others gain an understanding of rural life that goes far beyond stereotype.
Her books also preserve local knowledge and traditional skills – from shepherding and wool crafts to seasonal customs and farming practices – creating a lasting cultural record for future generations. In a rapidly changing world, that act of recording and valuing rural heritage carries real significance. Importantly, her writing has inspired wider engagement with nature and conservation.
By helping readers understand the connection between landscape, biodiversity and human stewardship, she encourages a more thoughtful relationship with the natural world. For urban readers too, her work fosters affection for the countryside, and affection is often where protection begins.
Inclusion and accessibility
Sally’s work helps bridge the urban-rural divide by making the countryside feel more accessible and welcoming. Her writing opens the farm gate to readers who may never otherwise encounter these worlds, whether exploring forgotten traditions, hidden wildlife or the rhythms of seasonal life.
Her books have been translated into 14 languages, including Korean, Japanese and Mongolian – spreading the awareness of our rural life far beyond our borders.
She reminds her audience that the countryside belongs not only to specialists or landowners, but to everyone who values connection to place, nature and community. She is a brilliant communicator and regularly speaks at festivals and events to promote knowledge and understanding of the countryside.
She has appeared on many podcasts and radio shows, including the BBC’s flagship magazine programme Saturday Live. Her writings reach a wide demographic: active on instagram she has been a columnist for Country Living for ten years and now also writes for Yorkshire Life. In the second half of 2026 she is speaking at no fewer than ten events including Derby, Bradford and Whitby Literary Festivals, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Books by the Beach Festival and the Swaledale Festival.
