When I had written my second book about Hedgehogs I really did think that was probably enough …

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Then Graffeg, a small publisher based in Wales, got in touch and asked if I would do one for them. I said no - I was worried I would just be plagiarising myself. They then asked who else I would recommend …

Well, that was enough to get me to change my mind! And that has led to a great time with me doing books on Beavers, Water Voles - one about nocturnal wildlife for younger readers called Five Nights Out - and now … coming out on 11th June - a book on Bats!!

Last year Bloomsbury decided to get in on the act … and last year asked if I would write a book about … Hedgehogs. I knew what would happen if I said no, but still had to think on it … is the world really ready for another book about Hedgehogs from me??? The clincher was that it is the start of a new series of books they are doing for the RSPB - launching with mine and one on Owls - coming out on 11th June!!

The Bat book was supposed to be out last year, but there were complications with the printing I think … so this was no supposed to happen. I had been excited at the idea of what would have been four books in three years … Cull of the Wild erupted in 2024. But two in the same year, makes me sound prolific - and two on the same day is just ridiculous!!!

I had wondered about asking one of the publishers to shift the date, but think that as they are small books - and I am hardly high profile - there would be no chance … and then I thought about the fact that these animals share many similar characteristics and threats - nocturnal, hibernating, insect-eating … so, I will use it as a chance to big up the night (and the long sleeps, and the bugs!)

Now, I have had the occasional snarky message about using Substack to try and earn some money when I must be making a fortune from these books … well … the truth of it is I earn more money taking photographs than I do writing books. I am very fortunate to have this other part of my life - spent mostly in the sublime chapels of the University of Oxford. I find it such a strange mix of worlds - to go from reading the latest science about hedgehog ecology to listening to stunning music in places like this!