The World to Come - World to Come - A Times Book of the Year 2024

Robert Macfarlane is internationally known for his writing on nature, people and place. His bestselling books include Underland, Landmarks, The Old Ways, The Wild Places, Mountains of the Mind and, most recently, Is A River Alive?. With the artist Jackie Morris he co-created the much-loved books of nature-poetry and art, The Lost Words and The Lost Spells. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, won many prizes around the world and been widely adapted for film, music, theatre, radio and dance. He has also written operas, plays, and films including River and Mountain, both narrated by Willem Dafoe, and collaborated with artists including Olafur Eliasson and Stanley Donwood. As a lyricist and performer, he has written albums and songs with musicians including Cosmo Sheldrake, Julie Fowlis and Johnny Flynn. In 2017, the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded him the E.M. Forster Prize for Literature. He is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Johnny Flynn is a singer, composer, musician and actor. He has released two full live albums, 'Live in Washington DC' (2014) and 'Live at the Roundhouse' (2018) and various EPs and soundtracks. As well as touring the world with his band, Johnny regularly composes music for film, TV and theatre -- including work for period instruments at the Globe Theatre. Johnny's recent acting projects include 'Hangmen' and 'True West' (for which he also composed the music) on stage and 'Emma', 'Beast' and 'The Dig' on film. He is currently appearing as Richard Burton in Jack Thorne's sell-out play 'The Motive and the Cue', directed by Sam Mendes.

Raised in the iconic North Yorkshire countryside, Emily Sutton has become a true icon of modern-day illustration. She started her artistic career at the reputable Edinburgh College of Art, Emily's childhood obsessions were soon brought to life; it was here that her vast and detailed world of curiosities, Victoriana and rosy-cheeked children were born. Aside from her evocative animation of other people's characters, Emily wrote her own book for Walker Books, 'Penny and the Little Lost Puppy' and has created several other titles in the last few years.