Mike Unwin

Mike Unwin is a writer of non-fiction books for both children and adults, specialising in wildlife, travel and conservation. You can also see his writing in such newspapers and magazines as The Independent, Wanderlust, Travel Africa, High Life, Bird Watching and BBC Wildlife. Mike's awards include the BBC Wildlife/Bradt Travel Guides Travel Writer of the Year (2000) and the British Guild of Travel Writers Best Overseas Feature (2008). He occasionally pops up on such radio shows as Radio 4's Excess Baggage and Traveller's Tree.

Mike was born in the UK in 1965 and studied English at Manchester University. He worked for many years in first teaching and then publishing before deciding to chance it as a freelance writer. Nearly eight of these years were spent in southern Africa, notably Zimbabwe and Swaziland, which nurtured a love for this part of the world that now colours much of his writing. Though no serious scientist, Mike's passion for natural history has always led him to grub around in search of wild things - whether in the African bush or on an English beach - and inspires him to communicate this to others through his writing. He also enjoys drawing and photographing the natural world, and has contributed many images to both his own work and other people's.

Mike now lives in Brighton, UK, with his wife and young daughter. He keeps his African hand in as editor of Travel Zambia magazine, and nips off to other exciting places whenever people are prepared to send him there.