Dara McAnulty
{{Short description|Northern Irish naturalist (born 2004)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Dara McAnulty
| image =
| alt =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|3|31|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| occupation = Naturalist, writer and environmental campaigner
| notable_works =
| spouse =
| partner =
| children =
| relatives =
| awards = {{Plainlist}}
{{Endplainlist}}
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
Dara Seamus McAnulty {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|BEM}} (born 31 March 2004){{cite book|title=Diary of a Young Naturalist|first=Dara|last=McAnulty|publisher=Little Toller|year=2020|page=23|isbn=9781908213792}} is a naturalist, writer and environmental campaigner from Northern Ireland.{{cite news|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/16/dara-mcanulty-nature-writing-diary-of-a-young-naturalist|title=Natural talent: the 16 year-old writer taking the world by storm|first=Patrick|last=Barkham|date=16 May 2020|access-date=9 April 2024|issn=0261-3077}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2020/07/04/news/naturalist-dara-mcanulty-only-when-the-last-person-stops-caring-are-we-truly-lost-1990683/|work=The Irish News|title=Naturalist Dara McAnulty: Only when the last person stops caring are we truly lost|first=Hannah|last=Stephenson|date=4 July 2020|access-date=9 April 2024|url-access=subscription}} He is the youngest ever winner of the RSPB Medal and received the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing in 2020 after being the youngest author to be shortlisted for the award.
Personal life
McAnulty was born in 2004 and lives with his family near the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. He attended Shimna Integrated College, completing school in 2022, and has since studied natural sciences at Queens' College, Cambridge.{{Cite web|url=https://www.shimnaintegratedcollege.org/post/interview-with-former-student-dara-mcanulty-featured-in-cambridge-university-magazine|title=Interview with former student Dara McAnulty featured in Cambridge University magazine|website=Shimna Integrated College|date=3 May 2023|accessdate=17 September 2024}}
In mid-2021, Monisha Rajesh reported in The Guardian that McAnulty had left Twitter after receiving abuse as a result of having raised concerns about Kate Clanchy's descriptions of autistic students and students of colour in her book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/aug/13/pointing-out-racism-in-books-is-not-an-attack-kate-clanchy|work=The Guardian|title=Pointing out racism in books is not an 'attack' – it's a call for industry reform|first=Monisha|last=Rajesh|author-link=Monisha Rajesh|date=13 August 2021|access-date=9 April 2024 |quote=... including Dara McAnulty, the 17-year-old autistic author of the award-winning Diary of a Young Naturalist. He highlighted several pages from the book that describe two autistic children as "odd", suggesting they might live in "ASD land". McAnulty then left Twitter after receiving so much abuse that his mother had to try to hide it from him. }} {{As of|April 2024}} his profile on X, formerly Twitter, states that he has been a member since June 2016.{{cite web |last1=McAnulty |first1=Dara |title=@NaturalistDara |url=https://twitter.com/NaturalistDara |website=X |access-date=10 April 2024}}
He is an ambassador for the RSPCA and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Writings
His debut book Diary of a Young Naturalist which chronicles the turning of his fourteenth year, was released in May 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/07/diary-of-a-young-naturalist-by-dara-mcanulty-review-miraculous-memoir|work=The Observer|title=Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty review - miraculous memoir|first=Alex|last=Preston|date=7 June 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/little-toller-reprints-diary-young-naturalist-1204623|work=The Bookseller|title=Little Toller reprints Diary of a Young Naturalist|first=Ruth|last=Comerford|date=27 May 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} It details his intense connection to the natural world as an autistic teenager. He is the youngest ever author shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize{{cite web|url=https://wainwrightprize.com/diary-of-a-young-naturalist/|work=The Wainwright Prize|title=Nature Writing {{!}} Shortlist 2020 {{!}} Diary of A Young Naturalist|access-date=9 April 2024}} for UK Nature Writing, and he won the 2020 prize.{{cite web|url=https://wainwrightprize.com/2020-shortlist-uk-nature-writing/|work=The Wainwright Prize|title=Shortlists announced for the 2020 Wainwright Prize|date=30 July 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} He was also awarded the An Post Irish Book Award for Newcomer of the Year.{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2020/1123/1179956-winners-of-an-post-irish-book-awards-2020-announced/|work=RTÉ|title=Winners of An Post Irish Book Awards 2020 announced|date=25 November 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} In 2021, he was shortlisted for the Dalkey Literary Award (Emerging Writer){{cite web|url=https://www.zurich.ie/dalkey-literary-awards/2021/emerging-writer/shortlist/|publisher=Zurich Ireland|work=Dalkey Literary Awards|title=Shortlist for the Emerging Writer Award 2021|access-date=9 April 2024}} and won the British Book Award for narrative non-fiction.{{cite web|url=https://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/lifestyle/british-book-award-winners-announced-but-are-you-in-the-mood-for-a-cry-or-a-page-turner/|work=Isle of Wight Radio|title=British Book Award Winners Announced – But Are You in the Mood for a Cry or a Page-Turner?|date=14 May 2021|access-date=9 April 2024}}
He has written for The Big Issue,{{cite web|url=https://www.bigissue.com/latest/environment/dara-mcanulty-on-lockdown-these-stagnant-days-are-full-of-life/|work=The Big Issue|title=Dara McAnulty on lockdown: 'These stagnant days are full of life'|date=11 June 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} The Guardian,{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/16/diary-of-a-young-naturalist-extract-dara-mcanulty|work=The Guardian|first=Dara|last=McAnulty|title='I want to find the beauty in everything': Dara McAnulty's Diary of a Young Naturalist|date=16 May 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} has presented radio for BBC Radio Ulster and has appeared on Springwatch and Countryfile. He has also written and presented for BBC Radio 4's Tweet of the Day.{{cite web|url=https://markavery.info/2017/06/29/dara-tweet-day/|website=markavery.info|title=Dara and Tweet of the Day|date=29 June 2017|access-date=9 April 2024}}{{self-published source|date=April 2024}} He was a part of "The People's Walk for Wildlife"{{cite web|url=https://laurencerose.co.uk/2018/09/the-peoples-walk-for-wildlife/|website=laurencerose.co.uk|title=The People's Walk for Wildlife|date=23 September 2018|access-date=9 April 2024}}{{self-published source|date=April 2024}} organised by television naturalist Chris Packham. He is a vocal campaigner on environmental issues.{{cite news|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/10/04/news/hundreds-of-species-in-north-could-become-extinct--1729774/|work=The Irish News|title=Hundreds of species in north 'could become extinct'|first=Claire|last=Simpson|date=4 October 2019|access-date=9 April 2024|url-access=subscription}}
In June 2021 McAnulty began writing a monthly nature column for The Irish Times.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dara-mcanulty-beside-the-sea-i-feel-winged-like-i-might-fly-off-1.4599358|newspaper=The Irish Times|title=Dara McAnulty: Beside the sea I feel winged, like I might fly off|date=26 June 2021|access-date=9 April 2024}}
Awards and recognition
McAnulty's first book, Diary of a Young Naturalist, won the 2020 Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing,{{cite web|url=https://wainwrightprize.com/news/winners-of-wainwright-prize-2020-announced/|work=Wainwright Prize|title=Winners of Wainwright Prize 2020 Announced|date=8 September 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} after being the youngest author to be shortlisted for the award.{{cn|date=October 2023}} His second book, Wild Child, was shortlisted for the 2022 Wainwright Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation.{{cite web|url=https://wainwrightprize.com/news/james-cropper-wainwright-prize-2022-shortlists-announced/|work=Wainwright Prize|title=James Cropper Wainwright Prize 2022 shortlists announced|date=28 July 2022|access-date=9 April 2024}}
He is also the youngest author to be long-listed for the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/10/dara-mcanulty-youngest-ever-finalist-baillie-gifford-prize-diary-of-a-young-naturalist|work=The Guardian|title=Dara McAnulty becomes youngest ever finalist for Baillie Gifford prize|first=Alison|last= Flood|date=10 September 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}} and for the shortlist for the 2020 Books Are My Bag Readers' Awards, which he won in the non-fiction category.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/maggie-o-farrell-and-dara-mcanulty-win-books-are-my-bag-awards-1.4407450|newspaper=The Irish Times|title=Maggie O'Farrell and Dara McAnulty win Books Are My Bag awards|first=Martin|last=Doyle|date=12 November 2020|access-date=9 April 2024}}
McAnulty was celebrated in "Points of Light" in 2018 by the UK Prime Minister for his work in connecting young people to nature.{{cite web|url=https://www.pointsoflight.gov.uk/iwill-young-naturalist-blogger/|publisher=Prime Minister's Office {{!}} 10 Downing Street|work=Points of Light|title=#iwill Young Naturalist Blogger {{!}} 1051. Dara McAnulty|date=19 November 2018 |access-date=9 April 2024}} His campaigning work against raptor persecution{{cite news|url=https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/15914222.teen-wildlife-enthusiast-dara-mcanulty-raises-5-000-raptor-tagging-project-completing-45k-ramble/|work=The Impartial Reporter|title=Teen wildlife enthusiast Dara McAnulty raises over £5,000 for raptor tagging project by completing 45k ramble|first=Meadhbh|last=Monahan|date=4 February 2018|access-date=9 April 2024}} and biodiversity loss{{cite press release|url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/rspb-ni-young-naturalist-dara-receives-rspb-award-for-his-conservation-campaigning/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518121915/https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/rspb-ni-young-naturalist-dara-receives-rspb-award-for-his-conservation-campaigning/|archive-date=18 May 2022|publisher=RSPB Media Centre|work=RSPB NI|title=Young naturalist Dara receives RSPB award for his conservation campaigning|first=Brian|last=Campbell|date=1 November 2019}} earned him the RSPB Medal for Conservation{{cite news|url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/co-down-lad-follows-sir-17161763|work=Belfast Live|title=Co Down lad follows in Sir David Attenborough's footsteps as youngest ever winner of prestigious RSPB Medal|first=Shauna|last=Corr|date=4 November 2019|access-date=9 April 2024}} in 2019: the award has been previously won by naturalists such as Sir David Attenborough.
McAnulty was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to the environment and people with autism spectrum disorder.{{London Gazette|issue=63918|supp=y|page=N32|date=31 December 2022}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book|title=Diary of a Young Naturalist|publisher=Little Toller Books|year=2020|isbn=978-1908213792}}
- {{cite book|title=Wild Child : A Journey Through Nature|publisher=Macmillan|year=2021|isbn=978-1529045321}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcanulty, Dara}}
Category:21st-century male writers from Northern Ireland
Category:21st-century non-fiction writers from Northern Ireland
Category:Nature writers from Northern Ireland
Category:Environmentalists from Northern Ireland
Category:British non-fiction environmental writers
Category:Recipients of the British Empire Medal
Category:People from Northern Ireland with disabilities
Category:Irish activists with disabilities
Category:British writers with disabilities