Not all animals are equal. Most people prefer bees to wasps and are more stirred by seeing an eagle than a buzzard. ‘Charismatic megafauna’ like polar bears, tigers, rhinos and pandas have long been icons of conservation movements, but what about the species that are less beautiful, dramatic, relatable, cute? Humans have spent centuries and countless resources trying to eliminate rats, slugs, midges and other pests. Several species have been associated in folklore with evil for so long – corvids, bats, toads – that they are still considered ill omens. And no one wants to be stung by a jellyfish or share the city with hordes of mutilated pigeons.But the climate crisis affects every species, and it is more urgent than ever that we remember that. These animals all play essential and often surprising roles in our fragile ecosystems. Midges protect plants from over-grazing, pigeon droppings fertilise crops, and crows move forests. Awful Creatures: Encounters with Britain’s Unlovable Animals takes an innovative approach to nature writing by considering a range of underappreciated animals, showing why we should care about them too and why they should inspire our wonder.Each chapter in Saskia McCracken’s book involves an anecdotal encounter she has with a different ‘awful creature’ as she explores their lives, the history of human relationships with these animals, why we might have come to dislike them, and what their future looks like during the sixth mass extinction event. Some are regarded as villains in conservation narratives (stoats, grey squirrels, wasps), others are animals we try to kill with repellent (midges, slugs, ants) or witches’ familiars in folklore (corvids, bats, toads), and some are even resilient and becoming prolific during the climate crisis (rats, pigeons, jellyfish). This is a book in praise of pests, invasive species, conservation villains, ill omens, and the few species thriving in warming conditions that will inherit the earth.Saskia’s debut nature narrative draws on her travels across Britain, including wildlife-watching adventures in the Highlands and Islands, a bat walk in the borders, a fancy pigeon show in Blackpool, the UK’s largest corvid roost in Anglesey, and a trip to New Zealand to learn how New Zealand's government is trying to exterminate rats to save their native birds. On her travels, Saskia speaks with entomologists and mollusc experts at the Natural History Museum, RSPB workers, amphibian conservationists, and rangers on bat and red squirrel nature reserves, and her engaging and entertaining narrative blends memoir with natural and cultural history and accessible research.Awful Creatures will be circa 75,000 words, with an introduction, epilogue and four sections: Heroes and Villains; Repellent; Ill Omens; and Inheritors of the Earth, Skies and Seas. Chapter titles are included in the TOC. And a detailed chapter breakdown and 3 sample chapters are shared separately.