Donald S Murray is widely recognised for his empathy and remarkable ability to convey emotion with restraint and poignancy. In this short collection of poems written during lockdown at his Shetland home, Murray explores the changing geography of the island and how it has, in turn, changed him. On his daily walks through the village, Murray found himself noting shifts in the wind and weather, the imperceptible widening of the sea, and the way time has slowed. Noting the way, too, in which flocks of sheep or birds congregated in a field in anticipation of the arrival of a storm. With beautiful imagery and lyricism, The Man Who Talks to Birds taps into a deep connection with nature, and its ability to ground us, that many of us have rediscovered during 2020.

Donald S Murray won the Paul Torday Memorial Award (2020) for his first novel, As the Women Lay Dreaming, and his work has attracted many other awards. His critically acclaimed non-fiction brings to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands, and he has appeared regularly on BBC Radio and television.