Foreshore is to publish The Birdwatchers, the debut novel by award-winning artist and writer Alan Lawson.

From one of our most talented artists and writers, The Birdwatchers is a novel about the risks and rewards of stepping out of your comfort zone, and about the hope of truly being understood by someone else.

The Birdwatchers tells the story of Jean, a lonely young man stuck in a routine life in a perfect Swiss city. His world changes when he becomes interested in a woman he sees on his daily commute. Trying to get closer to her, Jean pretends to be interested in birdwatching and joins her group of friends. As Jean learns about birds, he starts to see the world—and himself—differently.

Phil M. Shirley, Foreshore Publisher, said: ‘The Birdwatchers is a remarkable work from someone I consider to be a vital writer – Alan’s writing captures the spirit and concerns of our time, on a raw human level. The Birdwatchers takes us to the heart of the matter –  how hard it can be to make real connections with others in a world full of screens and routines. It is a novel that will impact and inspire.

The Birdwatchers will be published by Foreshore Books, the small press department of Foreshore Publishing, in spring 2026.

AJ Lawson is an award-winning artist and writer of Scottish–Spanish descent. His paintings are held in private and public collections, including his portrait of the late poet John Burnside, which hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. He is co-founder and co-director of The Alpine Fellowship, a nonprofit foundation supporting the arts.

His writing has appeared in literary journals such as Studies in Photography, American Arts Quarterly, and Bare Hands Poetry Magazine, and he was shortlisted for the 2014 Bridport Poetry Prize.