Longlisted for the 2025 Highland Book Prize
Acclaimed nature writer Neil Ansell has suffered from progressive hearing loss his whole life. As his world is becoming ever more silent, he suddenly hears something quite unexpected – the haunting call of the great northern diver. It is this extraordinary experience which makes him realise that there might still be remarkable sounds in nature within his reach – if he can only find himself in the right place at the right time. The Edge of Silence charts Neil’s mission to hear rare and elusive creatures that he had not previously encountered.
Neil Ansell has written for The Guardian, The New Statesman and The Big Issue, and has been an award-winning journalist with the BBC. His previous books include Deep Country, Wilderness and The Circling Sky, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Wainwright Golden Beer and Highland Book Prize.