From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane comes Is a River Alive?, a brilliant, perspective-shifting book that explores the transformative idea that rivers are living beings deserving of recognition in both imagination and law. This work takes readers on an exhilarating exploration of the past, present, and futures of this ancient, urgent concept.

• Instant Number One Sunday Times Bestseller
• Shortlisted for Blackwell's Book of the Year 2025
• Shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing 2025
• Shortlisted for The Indie Book Awards 2026
• Named 2025 Book of the Year by Spectator, I Paper, Economist, Esquire, and Time
• Shortlisted for The Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year 2026
• Longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize 2026

The book journeys through vital global locations, including northern Ecuador where rivers face threats from goldmining, southern India where a battle to save waterbodies is underway, and north-eastern Quebec, defending the wild Mutehekau (Magpie) River from damming.

This is Macfarlane’s most personal and political book to date, aiming to spark debates and reveal the deep connection between human fate and the fate of rivers.

• Author: Robert Macfarlane
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Language: English
• Print Length: 384 pages
• ISBN-10: 0241998212
• ISBN-13: 978-0241998212
• Dimensions: 13.1 x 2.6 x 20 cm
• Weight: 318 g
• Publication Date: March 5, 2026

For readers interested in Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, and environmental advocacy, this paperback offers a profound look at the life and rights of rivers.