Kendal's James Cropper brought the literary Wainwright Prize home to the Lake District for first time in its decade-long history.

The annual prize, which recognises books that effectively inspire readers to explore the outdoors and nurture respect for the natural world, carries the name of treasured nature writer and Kendal local, Alfred Wainwright.

James Cropper, the papermaking company, has had a longstanding association with the prize.

In 2005, the papermaker crafted a bespoke paper, perfectly mimicking the paper type found in original editions of Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

This was to mark half a century since the Wainwright pictorial guides, which were again printed in Kendal.

The awards event unfolded at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre on September 14, hosting Mark Cropper, Chairman of James Cropper and this year's judge for the Writing on Conservation Prize, members of the Wainwright family, a collection of authors in the nature writing genre, judges including local author Lee Schofield and, for the first time, members of the public.

An array of activities including panel discussions, book signings, video presentations, workshops, art exhibitions, live paper making demonstrations and paper art workshops were part of the day's line-up at the James Cropper Wainwright Prize Festival Hub.

This festivity reached a climax with the unveiling of the three category winners.

The Nature Writing Prize was secured by Yorkshire-based biologist, Amy-Jane Beer for her book Flow: Rivers, Water and Wildness.

The Writing on Conservation Prize fell in favour of Devon-based writer and environmental advocate, Guy Shrubsole, for his work The Lost Rainforests of Britain.

Writer Kiran Millwood Hargrave and talented illustrator Tom de Freston from Oxford received the Prize for Children's Writing on Nature and Conservation for Leila and the Blue Fox.

Mark Cropper said: “The James Cropper Wainwright Prize and its authors and books are all about trying to open peoples’ eyes to what’s happening in the world.

"Stories shared range from the wondrous to the deeply concerning and often back again, as solutions to many of our deepest challenges are explored.

"It was fantastic to bring the Prize home this year and invite the local community to get involved and celebrate nature and conservation writing.”

Jane King, Alfred Wainwright’s stepdaughter, says: “It has been wonderful to see the Wainwright Prize go from strength to strength over the last 10 years. It is particularly exciting and appropriate to be celebrating such a significant anniversary with James Cropper in Alfred Wainwright’s beloved Lake District.”