Dugald A Steer was born in 1965 and lives in Surrey. His love of books and reading led him to study English Literature and Philosophy at Bristol University where he was an avid contributor to the Poetry Society Magazine.
After stints working for Friends of the Earth and the Duchy of Lancaster Office, Dugald trained to teach English and spent the next five years in Spain, living in Galacia and Andalucia, writing in his spare time.
Dugald now works as a freelance author for Templar Publishing , for whom he worked as an inhouse writer and editor for ten years. He has also made contributions to many of Templar's best known series, including Derek Matthews' highly successful Happy Snappy series. He has edited many other books, has created Picture This... and Alphabet with Alison Jay and has also written The Toys Easter Surprise and books in the Little Mouse series. Dugald wrote the handbook How to Be a Knight, which he followed up with How to be an Explorer.
Dugald is the author of the hugely successful Ology series that includes Dragonology and Monsteroogy (writing as Dr. Ernest Drake), Egyptology (as Emily Sands), Wizardology (as the wizard Merlin!), Pirateology (as Capt.William Lubber), Mythology (as Lady Hestia Evans) and Spyology (as Spencer Blake, as well as the Ology handbooks, model packs, field guides, and the Dragonology Pocket Adventures.