Gaia swoops for 'joyful' introductory guide to birdwatching by Hamza Yassin 

Gaia has acquired Be a Birder from Scottish wildlife cameraman, presenter and “Strictly Come Dancing” star Hamza Yassin. 

Commissioning editor Nicky Crane acquired world all language rights from Louise Leftwich at DML Talent. The “joyful, introductory guide for the budding birdwatcher” will be published in hardback on 3rd August 2023.

The synopsis reads: “As Hamza recounts stories of his birdwatching adventures, he’ll share tips and tricks to help readers start identifying birds, understand their behaviour and movements, and give readers advice on how they might find the most exciting birds, wherever they are.

“Beautifully illustrated, the book celebrates the birds that surround us, and invites us all to stop, step outside and listen, and open our eyes to the wonder and beauty of these incredible creatures.

Yassin is a Scottish wildlife cameraman, zoologist and presenter, whose first TV appearance was on CBeebies’ “Let’s Go for a Walk”. Since then, he’s made appearances on “The One Show”, “Countryfile” and “Animal Park”, and presented his own documentaries on Channel 4, including “Scotland: My Life in the Wild” and “Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness”. He was the podcast host of the second series of “Get Birding” and is currently a contestant on BBC One’s “Strictly Come Dancing”.

Crane said of the acquisition: “Anyone who’s seen Hamza on ’Strictl’y will know how wonderful he is; so personable, passionate, and full of joy, so it’s a huge privilege to be working with him on this book at Gaia, sitting among other brilliant birdwatching books on the list from the RSPB, Flock Together and Dominic Couzens. And amazing still to see all the public support flooding in for Hamza, and how rapidly his profile has grown! I know how big a part birdwatching has played in his life, so I can’t wait for Hamza to share his superb stories and incredible ornithological knowledge with the world.”

Yassin commented: “I’m over the moon to be able to share my passion for birdwatching in my first book. It has always been my dream to inspire others to discover and protect the amazing birds inhabiting our incredible natural world. I hope to encourage more birding enthusiasts to share the love I have for these creatures and the planet we share with them. This book will help readers take their first steps into birdwatching and explore the natural world around us whilst discovering the joy of birding.”