About this item
"A beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject." -- Robert MacfarlaneOne minute I was sipping my tea by the window. There was nothing but the palest edge of grey light and a wisp of steam from my cup -- and then a shadow swooped out of the air. With the lightest of scratches, as if the dawn light was solidifying into life, there it was, perched like an exclamation mark on the balcony: an owl, come to my home.Owls have existed for over sixty million years, and in the relatively short time we have shared the planet with these majestic birds they have ignited the human imagination. But even as owls continue to captivate our collective consciousness, celebrated British nature writer Miriam Darlington finds herself struck by all she doesn't know about the true nature of these enigmatic creatures.
About the Author
Miriam Darlington was born and brought up in Lewes, Sussex. She lived and worked in France for two years, then studied at Sussex University. On graduating she wrote a teen-novel, then studied for an MA in children's literature at the Roehampton Institute, and later gained a PGCE to teach in secondary school. She taught French and English for 12 years whilst still writing poetry and prose, before becoming a full-time writer in 2007. A prize-winning poet, she gives readings and workshops at literary festivals and events, and has one full collection of poetry, Windfall which was published by Oversteps Books in 2008. She has written a book for young children, Footprints in the Sand, an ecological tale about rivers. In 2009 she gained funding to complete a book on otters in conjunction with a PhD at Exeter University. She writes for The Countryman magazine, Resurgence and Archipelago, edited by Prof Andrew McNeillie. She lives in Devon with two children, one dog, two cats, four chickens and one husband.
