A NEW sponsor has been unveiled for the prestigious Wainwright Prize showcasing writing on nature and conservation.

James Cropper has announced a three-year headline sponsorship of The Wainwright Prize, a nature writing prize, named after much-loved writer Alfred Wainwright, a Kendal local famous for his Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells.

Having made fine papers for publishing, premium print, art and luxury packaging since 1845 in the very town where Alfred Wainwright lived and worked, the partnership underpins the shared history and purpose of the two organisations.

Publishers Frances Lincoln, in association with the National Trust, launched The Wainwright Prize for UK Nature and Travel Writing in November 2013.

The prize aims to reward outstanding literary titles inspired by the outdoors.