Guy Shrubsole

Guy Shrubsole is a British environmental campaigner and author whose investigative writing about land ownership, rewilding, and the English countryside has made him one of the most important voices in contemporary British environmentalism. Shrubsole works as a campaigner and researcher focused on land rights, environmental policy, and rewilding. His meticulous, data-driven approach to investigating who owns England and how that land is used has opened eyes and sparked debate. Who Owns England? (2019) is a groundbreaking investigation into the question its title poses — a question that, astonishingly, had never been comprehensively answered before. Using Freedom of Information requests, historical research, and digital mapping, Shrubsole revealed the extraordinary concentration of land ownership in England, where a tiny percentage of the population owns the vast majority of land. The book was widely praised for making a dry-sounding subject genuinely compelling and politically urgent. The Lie of the Land continues his investigation into how land is owned, used, and abused in England, examining how patterns of ownership shape everything from housing to farming to wildlife. Shrubsole writes with the rigour of a researcher and the passion of an activist. He makes complex subjects accessible without oversimplifying them, and his work has real practical impact — influencing policy debates and public understanding of land rights. The audiobook of The Lie of the Land, narrated by Shrubsole himself, adds personal conviction to his meticulous research. His books and audiobooks are essential for anyone interested in land ownership, environmental policy, and the hidden power structures that shape the English countryside.