The Company of Owls
by Polly Atkin
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Pub Date Oct 16 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
Share in the company of owls in this nocturnal love song… From the author of Some of Us Just Fall, longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing.
‘I couldn’t put down this warm and comforting, beautiful book.’ Ajay Tegala, author of Wetland Diaries
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In the woods above Polly Atkin’s home in Grasmere, Cumbria live the tawny owls she calls her neighbours. Each night, they come down to her cottage at dusk, calling out as night falls – in particular a trio of owlets she watches grow from fledglings to young adults.
As the antics of the owl siblings develop – their capacity to play, to bicker, to share and to protect – they encourage her to think differently about some of the big needs of all our lives: solitude and companionship, care and belonging, rest and retreat. And into the frame step questions about all sorts of relationships, from how we feel when in darkness to the homes and connection we so desperately seek.
The Company Of Owls is a love song to these incredible creatures, and a reflection on what makes them, and us, unique. It’s a call to find joy in unexpected places and times. It is a lesson in learning to listen – to really listen – when all around us seems clamour and noise.
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‘Rarely have I found a book so transporting, so moving.’ Jessica J. Lee, author of Dispersals
‘A beautiful guide to moving through this world with tender curiosity, joy and reflection.’ Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean
Advance Praise
‘Polly Atkin’s words left me with a longing for owls and a longing for a world in which every single one of us can belong.’ Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean
‘I adored The Company of Owls… Polly Atkin writes with gentle grace – I will be thinking about the owls and the landscape of this book for a long time to come.’ Jessica J. Lee, author of Dispersals
‘We get to know Polly and the local owls she has such an affinity with in the Lake District. It’s an intimate journey of discovery, following the lives of three tawny owlets, watching them grow, willing them to do well and learning about their behaviour through Polly’s observations and poetic musings. You are right there with her through moments of joy, jeopardy, pain, spine-tingling suspense and elation. Her totally gorgeous celebration of owls draws us closer to these mysterious and admirable birds.’ Ajay Tegala, author of Wetland Diaries
‘This touching, gentle offering shows that, given a humble heart and willingness to stand still in Nature and look and listen, you can get closer to owls than you’d imagine.’ Country Life
‘Beautifully written and densely observant ... There is much food for thought in this wonderful and wholly original book.’ Mail on Sunday
‘This gorgeous, dusky hymn to [tawny owls] and the other three species of owl that live wild in Cumbria meditates beautifully on what keeping company with these marvellous birds has taught [Polly] about “difference and aloneness and companionship and difficulty”.’ The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice
‘A love song to these incredible creatures.’ Outdoor Swimmer
‘An elegiac meditation laced with gems of owl lore.’ Saga
‘Reading this book at bedtime has been a gentle companionable pleasure. I looked forward to spending time with Polly and the owls at the end of each day, savouring each chapter and seeking out the book for as long as I could.’ Moving Mountains
‘A poet and writer based in Cumbria, Atkin has long entertained frequent visits from owls to her garden, and sees them as her neighbours. Here, she reveals what they have taught her about life’ iNews
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781783969074 |
| PRICE | £10.99 (GBP) |
| PAGES | 244 |
