Hamza, who won the 2022 season of Strictly Come Dancing, is also a well-known naturalist and wildlife cameraman. His new book, Hamza’s Wild World, is an engaging, educational exploration of the natural world, filled with fun facts, captivating photos, and vivid illustrations. It invites children to soar through the skies, dive beneath the water, and roam the land, guided by Hamza’s infectious enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge.
The book also includes personal stories from Hamza’s career as a conservationist and wildlife cameraman, making it both informative and inspirational. Designed with accessibility in mind, Hamza’s Wild World features dyslexia-friendly formatting, ensuring that it can be enjoyed by all readers, including those with dyslexia, like Hamza himself.
Born in Sudan, Hamza moved to the UK at a young age and later pursued a degree in zoology with conservation and animal behaviour at Bangor University. When interviewed in the media, Hamza often speaks fondly of his time at Bangor, especially about his struggles with dyslexia and how the University's Miles Dyslexia Centre supported him throughout his studies.
Hamza said, "I knew immediately that Bangor University was the place for me. I’d heard about its strong reputation and how well-known its dyslexia support was, which was really important for me. I will always treasure my time there—the lessons from my lecturers, the practicals, and the incredible field trips we went on. I couldn’t wait for each new module, excited about all the new things I’d learn about the natural world.
“Bangor University has given me the biggest leg up in life. Sir David Attenborough received an honorary degree from Bangor, and that inspired me to pursue my own degree in zoology there. Many years later, I’ve now been awarded that same honorary degree—it feels like fate."
Since his university days, he has built an impressive career in wildlife television. He became a household name as Ranger Hamza on CBeebies’ Let’s Go for a Walk and has featured in popular BBC programmes such as The One Show, Countryfile, and Animal Park. His Channel 4 documentaries, Scotland: My Life in the Wild and Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness, have been widely acclaimed, and in September 2023, he presented the BBC One primetime show Hamza: Strictly Birds of Prey.
Professor Julia Jones from the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University, said, “Hamza’s Wild World is the perfect Christmas gift for a budding conservationist or a lover of wildlife. Perhaps some readers will follow in his footsteps and study zoology or conservation here at Bangor.”
“It’s always a joy hearing what our graduates go on to achieve. I love seeing Hamza’s name in the credits of wildlife documentaries or watching him present these incredible wildlife programmes. I even got into Strictly Come Dancing when he was on it, and never missed an episode! His passion for nature is truly infectious, and he has done so much to inspire a new generation to care about the world around them.”
Hamza's Wild World by Hamza Yassin illustrated by Louise Forshaw is published by Macmillan Children's Books and is available in book shops nationwide and online.
Hamza was given an Honorary Master of Science degree by Bangor University for services to popular entertainment and contribution to learning through all media in 2022. You can watch his graduation speech here.
