Lucy Jones

Author

Lucy Jones is a British author and journalist whose nature writing explores the vital connection between the human mind and the natural world, blending personal memoir with scientific research to make a compelling case for why we need nature — and what happens when we lose access to it. Born in Cambridge, Jones studied at University... College London. She has worked as a journalist for NME, the Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, the New Statesman, and BBC Earth, writing about culture, science, and nature. Foxes Unearthed (2016) was her first book — an exploration of Britain's most divisive wild animal, examining the cultural, historical, and ecological significance of the fox. It won the Society of Authors' Roger Deakin Award. Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild (2020) was her most acclaimed work — a deeply personal book that interweaves Jones's own story of recovery from addiction and depression with a rigorous examination of the scientific evidence for nature's impact on mental health. The book explores why time in natural environments reduces anxiety, improves mood, and aids recovery, and argues passionately that disconnection from nature is contributing to the mental health crisis. It was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize and named a Times and Telegraph book of the year. Matrescence (2023) explored the transformation of becoming a mother — the neurological, psychological, and social changes that motherhood brings — with the same combination of personal honesty and scientific rigour. It was longlisted for the inaugural Women's Prize for Nonfiction. Jones writes with warmth, vulnerability, and intellectual curiosity. Her work sits at the intersection of memoir, science writing, and nature writing, and she brings a journalist's skill for synthesis to deeply personal material. The audiobook editions of Jones's books are moving and enlightening. Her books and audiobooks are essential for anyone interested in nature, mental health, or the increasingly urgent question of what we lose when we lose our connection to the natural world. Read more Show less