Dr Huw Lewis-Jones
Associate Professor of Environment and Culture
Dr Huw Lewis-Jones is an environmental historian and expedition leader.
Huw is a storyteller and seafarer, a field naturalist and wilderness guide, an award-winning author and teacher. Huw has a PhD from the University of Cambridge and also leads voyages to challenging places. He is a creative adventurer and conservation advocate, exploring new ways of thinking.
Huw has written best-selling books that have now been published in twenty-two languages. He continues to work as an international photo editor, an art director, an academic researcher, sometimes as museum curator, and often as polar bear guard. His first job was as a beach cleaner. These days he encourages his students to spend as much time as they can outside and offline.
Huw’s books include The Sea Journal, Explorers’ Sketchbooks, Imagining the Arctic, Archipelago, Ocean Portraits, The Lifeboat, The Crossing of Antarctica, In Search of the South Pole, Swallowed by a Whale, and The Writer’s Map, which picked up multiple prizes including the Stanford Award for Illustrated Book of the Year. He recently completed a new collection – Why We Photograph Animals – and is working on other projects relating to seabirds, children’s literature, and climate literacy.
In recent years Huw has been teaching in lecture halls, at festivals, on ships, by glaciers, and on remote volcanic islands, from the South Pacific to the High Arctic. He likes to navigate boats into the ice, taking people north to see whales and polar bears in the wild, or south, to penguin rookeries, albatross colonies, and yet more ice.
Huw also curates photo exhibitions and has appeared in BBC documentaries. He has been a Fellow at Harvard University and Curator of both the Scott Polar Research Institute and the National Maritime Museum in London. He won the Leif Erikson Award in 2015 for his advocacy of exploration, photography and wilderness heritage. Most recently, he was Green Visiting Professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
Huw joined Falmouth as Senior Lecturer in 2018, and he teaches his students about wildlife, culture, history, communication, and creativity. He is based in the Institute of Photography but also works with partners across many time-zones. He can mostly be found making books and messing about in boats.
External Links
Qualifications
Qualifications
| Year | Qualification | Awarding body |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | PhD: Arctic, Visual Culture, Environment, Exploration | University of Cambridge |
| 2002 | MPhil: Polar Studies, Humanities, Social Sciences | University of Cambridge |
| 2001 | BA: Geography, Conservation, Arctic, Himalayas | University of Cambridge |
Honors and awards
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Winner. The Writer’s Map, British Book Design and Production Awards, London |
| 2019 | Winner. The Sea Journal, Gold Medal, Motovun Book Awards, Frankfurt |
| 2019 | Winner. The Writer’s Map, World Fantasy Awards, Los Angeles |
| 2019 | Winner. The Writer’s Map, Gold Medal, Motovun Book Awards, Frankfurt |
| 2018 | Winner. Explorers’ Sketchbooks, First China Nature Book Award, Beijing |
| 2018 | Winner. The Writer’s Map, Edward Stanford Award for Illustrated Book of the Year, London |
| 2018 | Winner. Explorers’ Sketchbooks, Taiwan Open Book Award, Taipei |
| 2017 | Finalist. Explorers' Sketchbooks, Edward Stanford Travel Book of the Year, London |
| 2016 | Finalist. Across the Arctic Ocean, History Award at the Banff Mountain Festival |
| 2013 | Winner. The Conquest of Everest, History Award at the Banff Mountain Festival |
| 2012 | Winner. Mountain Heroes, Adventure Book of the Year at the World ITB Awards, Frankfurt |
| 2012 | Finalist. Mountain Heroes, Mountain Literature at the Banff Mountain Festival |
| 2011 | Finalist. Ocean Portraits, the Mountbatten Maritime Media Award for Best Literature, London |
Membership of external committees
Fellow, Royal Geographical Society (2003-Present)Research Interests
Research interests and expertise
- Animal History
- Conservation and Heritage
- Environmental Humanities
- Fieldcraft
- Photography
- Polar Regions
- Public Speaking
- Sustainability
- Visual Culture
- Wildlife Film
- Writing and Publishing
Research topics
- Animal History
- Environmental Humanities
- Photography
- Visual Culture
Research centre and group affiliations
Environmental FuturesResearch Outputs
Publications and research outputs
-
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2024), WHY WE PHOTOGRAPH ANIMALS, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 9780500022726, Item availability may be restricted. -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2019), Archipelago: An Atlas of Imagined Islands, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 978-0500022566, Item availability may be restricted. -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2019), The Sea Journal: Seafarers’ Sketchbooks, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 978-0500021279, Item availability may be restricted. -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2018), The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, ISBN: 978-0226596631, Item availability may be restricted. -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Axelsson, Ragnar
(2017), Faces of the North: Ragnar Axlesson, Crymogea, Reykjavík, ISBN: 978-9935420404 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2017), Imagining the Arctic: Heroism, Spectacle and Polar Exploration, I.B. Tauris / Bloomsbury, London, ISBN: 978-0755600991, Item availability may be restricted. -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Herbert, Kari
(2016), Explorers’ Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery, Chronicle, San Francisco, ISBN: 978-0500252192 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2015), Across the Arctic Ocean: Original Photographs from the Last Great Polar Journey, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 978-0500252147 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Lowe, George
(2014), The Crossing of Antarctica: Original Photographs from the Epic Journey that Fulfilled Shackleton’s Dream, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 978-0500252024 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Barnett, Cristian
(2014), Life on the Line: People of the Arctic Circle, Polarworld, London, ISBN: 978-0955525582 -
Axelsson, Ragnar
(2014), Ragnar Axelsson: Photo Poche, Actes Sud, Paris, ISBN: 978-2330017576, (Published) -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Lowe, George
(2013), The Conquest of Everest: Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent, Thames & Hudson, London, ISBN: 978-0500544235 -
Lowe, George
(2013), Letters from Everest, Silverbear, London, ISBN: 978-0955525537 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Millard, Nigel
(2013), The Lifeboat: Courage on our Coasts, Conway and RNLI, London, ISBN: 978-1844862177 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Parry, Bruce
(2011), Arctic: Bruce Parry, BBC and Conway, London, ISBN: 978-1844861309 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Herbert, Kari
(2011), In Search of the South Pole, Conway, London, ISBN: 978-1844861378 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2011), Mountain Heroes: Portraits of Adventure, Conway, London, ISBN: 978-0762779918 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2010), Face to Face: Ocean Portraits, Conway, London, ISBN: 978-1844861248 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw and Axelsson, Ragnar
(2010), Last Days of the Arctic, Polarworld, London, ISBN: 978-9935420305 -
Lewis-Jones, Huw
(2008), Face to Face: Polar Portraits, Scott Polar Research Institute / Polarworld, Cambridge / London, ISBN: 978-0901021083
Research Students
Current research students
Huw is currently supervising nine PhDs. He welcomes prospective students on subjects ranging from wildlife, environment and sustainability, photography and film, literature and visual culture, to creative futures more broadly. Please see his doctoral briefs ENVIRO/PHOTO and ANIMAL/LAB for more information.
- Claire Musser ‘Multispecies Entanglements, from Conflict to Coexistence: How Remote Cameras Can Shape Public Perception of Carnivora in Urban Areas.’
- Josie Purcell ‘Cornwall’s ‘Rivercide’ Cyanotypes: Abstract Photographic Art as Mediator Between Humans and River Health.’
- Alan Conteh ‘Photographing the Invisible: Exploring the Relationship Between Photographic Narratives, Public Perception, and Policy Regarding Air Pollution in London.’
- Jeanne Dodds ‘Place Identity Through Ecological Kinship: Seeing Ourselves in the More-Than-Human.’
- Christopher Hewitson ‘Performing the Anthropocene: Human and Non-Human Animal Interaction in the Corbières Region of France.’
- Lucy Horswill ‘Human-Equine Entanglements: Horses, Patriarchy, Colonialism, Visual Culture.’
- Mark Leary ‘The Pull of the Tide: Visual Explorations of Human Connections to the Sea, and the Impact of Blue Spaces on Sense-of-Self through Surfing.’
- Rosie Sherwood ‘The Museum of Mass-Extinction: Art and Communicating the Eremocene.’
- Phil Yeo ‘Governments, Corporations, Activists: Visual Culture, Public Relations and the Dissemination of Environmental Messaging.’
Teaching
Areas of teaching
- Animal History
- Conservation and Heritage
- Curation
- Environmental Humanities
- Fieldcraft
- Photography
- Polar Regions
- Public Speaking
- Sustainability
- Visual Culture
- Wildlife Film
- Writing and Publishing
Courses taught
- BA(Hons) Marine and Natural History Photography
Professional Engagement
Independent professional practice
Author and Editor
- 2024 Why We Photograph Animals (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2020 Swallowed by a Whale: How to Survive the Writing Life (London: British Library)
- 2019 Archipelago: An Atlas of Imagined Islands (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2019 The Sea Journal: Seafarers’ Sketchbooks (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2018 The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands (Chicago: University of Chicago Press)
- 2017 Imagining the Arctic (London: IB Tauris)
- 2017 Faces of the North: Ragnar Axelsson (Reykjavík: Crymogea)
- 2016 Explorers’ Sketchbooks: The Art of Discovery (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2015 Across the Arctic Ocean (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2014 The Crossing of Antarctica (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2014 Ragnar Axelsson (Paris: Actes Sud)
- 2014 Life on the Line: People of the Arctic Circle (London: Polarworld)
- 2013 The Conquest of Everest (London: Thames & Hudson)
- 2013 The Lifeboat (London: Conway/Royal National Lifeboat Institution)
- 2013 Letters from Everest (London: Silverbear)
- 2011 In Search of the South Pole (London: Conway)
- 2011 Arctic: Bruce Parry (London: Conway/BBC)
- 2011 Mountain Heroes: Portraits of Adventure (London: Conway)
- 2010 Face to Face: Ocean Portraits (London: Conway)
- 2010 Last Days of the Arctic: Ragnar Axelsson (Reykjavík: Crymogea)
- 2008 Face to Face: Polar Portraits (Cambridge: Scott Polar Research Institute)
Social, community and cultural engagement
Exhibition Curator
- 2015 Across the Arctic Ocean: Photographs by Sir Wally Herbert
- 2014 Life on the Line: Photographs by Cristian Barnett
- 2014 The Crossing of Antarctica: Photographs by George Lowe
- 2013 Courage on our Coasts: Photographs by Nigel Millard
- 2014 The Conquest of Antarctica: Photographs by George Lowe
- 2012 Last Days of the Arctic: Photographs by Ragnar Axelsson
- 2010 Sananquaq: Inuit Art in Britain
- 2010 Inuit Art: Masterworks from the Arctic
- 2009 Flood Cycle: Visual Impressions of a Changing Planet
- 2009 John Gale and Sons: Painting the Southern Ocean
- 2009 Glacial Shift: Alpine Artworks by Emma Stibbon
- 2008 Face to Face: Polar Photographs by Martin Hartley
- 2008 Immaqa Aqagu/Maybe Tomorrow: Photographs by Tiina Itkonen
- 2008 South Georgia: Environmental Histories at the Edge of the World
- 2008 Nanoq: Photographs by Snæbjörnsdóttir/Wilson
- 2008 Breaking the Ice: Antarctica with Jörg Schmeisser
- 2008 The Changing Arctic: Photographs by Louise Murray
- 2008 First Across: Pioneering Antarctic Photography
- 2007 Freeze Frame: Historic Polar Photography
Film Contributor
- 2015 Everest Revealed: Imagining the Himalayas, Timeshift for BBC4 (UK)
- 2015 Franklin’s Lost Ships, documentary film for PBS Nova (USA), C4 (UK), CBC (Canada)
- 2013 Everest: Beyond the Edge, 3D docudrama for General Film Corporation (NZ)
- 2012 Frank Wild: Surviving Antarctica, documentary film for BBC2 (UK)
- 2011 Antarctica: Natural Histories of Ice,documentary film for BBC4 (UK)
- 2008 Wilderness Explored: Arctic, Central Australia, Congo, three-part series for BBC4 (UK)
- 2007 Captain Cook: Obsession and Discovery, ABC (NZ/UK) and History Channel (USA)
Engagement with professional associations and societies
- Fellow, Royal Geographical Society (2003-Present)
- Polar Guide, IAATO and AECO (2010-Present)
- Chair of Judges, Write Stuff Awards (2019-Present)
- Member, ALCS and PLR (2019-Present)
- Member, European Society for Environmental History (2019-Present)
- Member, American Society for Environmental History (2019-Present)
- Member, Royal Photographic Society (2024-Present)
- Member, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (2024-Present)
- Member, Society for Storytelling (2024-Present)
- Committee Member, Guernsey Literary Festival (2024-Present)
- Founder, International Childrens Books Research Group (2024-Present)
Professional esteem indicators
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2019 | British Book Design and Production Awards for Book of the Year, London |
| 2018 | Edward Stanford Award for Illustrated Book of the Year, London |
| 2017 | The Green Visiting Professorship, University of British Columbia, Vancouver |
| 2015 | The Leif Erikson Award for ‘services to exploration and heritage’, Iceland |
| 2003 | Elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London |
