Gaia| 11 Sept. 2025| e0book| 258 pages| My own copy|5*
Homeward Bound: The joy of nature and my life outdoors by Hamza Yassin. He is a British wildlife cameraman and presenter. I first saw him on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, which he won with professional dancer, Jowita Przystał. Since then I’ve seen him on various wildlife programmes, including Countryfile and Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles, a four-episode series with each episode covering a different season of the year. So when I saw he’d published Homeward Bound I had to read it. It’s fascinating!
He was born in Sudan and moved to the UK when he was young. He has a degree in Zoology with Conservation from Bangor University and a Masters in Biologival Photography and Imaging from the University of Nottingham.
He struggled at school because of his dyslexia and as he loved being outside he thinks because of his struggles in the classroom that meant that his brain compensated outside the classroom. He became very aware of the world around him. This book was inspired by two places where he spends a lot of his time – Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, where he lives and Longleat Estate in Wiltshire.
It’s about his fascination with the outdoors. From learning to ring birds in Wales to chasing orca in Scotland as he explores wildlife across the British Isles and delights in the hidden life that is found there. Throughout his journey, he shows us the wonder of wildlife and how mother nature is a home for us all. It’s full of personal stories, including life in the Scottish Highlands and his adventures as a wildlife cameraman. He shares the joy of nature and shows us how it has made him who he is today.
He writes about a variety of locations – Cities and Gardens, Wetland and Rivers, Heathland, Farmland, Woodland, Meadows and Moorland, and Highlands. It’s a wonderful book, packed with many facts and information, without making it feel like a dry data download. It’s well written in a relaxed style, yet conveying his passion for nature and wildlife and his sense of wonder at it all. If you love nature you’ll love this book
