The Edge of Silence : In Search of the Disappearing Sounds of Nature

A journey like no other.

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.

This moving book charts Neil's mission to hear rare and elusive creatures that he had not previously encountered. This journey takes him from the mountaintops and islands of the Scottish Highlands to the marshes of England and the hills of Wales. Many of these species are in grave danger of extinction, so the future Neil faces, devoid of their distinctive calls, is one we all must fight to prevent.

Locations and animals: great northern diver (Nether Lochaber, Scottish Highlands), ptarmigan (Ardgour, Scottish Highlands), little grebe (Ardgour, Scottish Highlands), bittern (Morecambe Bay, Lancashire), natterjack toad (The Wirral), red-throated diver (Ardgour, Scottish Highlands), corncrake (Coll), snipe (Coll), black grouse (North Wales), greenshank (Ardgour, Scottish Highlands), puffin (Canna and Sanday), storm petrel (Mousa, Shetland), whimbrel (Shetland), red kite (Perthshire), otter (Sunart, Scottish Highlands), manx shearwater (Rum).

Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2025