SOPHIE SPILLARD, AUTHOR

The natural beauty of our planet has always captivated me: from tectonic and glacial lanscapes shaped over millennia, and the resulting, awe-inspiring mountain ranges, to the extraordinary biodiversity, not limited to our rainforests, marshes, deserts and grasslands. This curiosity of the Earth led me to study Geophysics; and I find such joy in the simple moments of seeing the stars glimmer, the sun rise, and the changing faces of the moon. 

Growing up in London, I was surrounded by different cultures, which inspired a sense of adventure. At the heart of my inspiration are the people, and the four-legged friends, that I’ve crossed paths with. It's a great privilege to see the world from someone else's perspective. 

These influences are captured in my first series of books: stories that discover unusual corners of the world, and the diverse communities who treasure them. From bird spotting in the cashew trees of Pirangi in Brazil, to botanising in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Observing the tortoise homecoming on the Galapagos Islands, and star gazing at the top of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador. The adventures continue: crossing the Wallace Line and orangutan spotting in Indonesia, and celebrating a wild horse festival in El Rocío, Spain.

Gentle moral lessons unfold along the way: with reminders to “find purpose by searching for what’s in your heart”, that “it’s brave to be honest”, and to remember that “the world is full of wonder”. Each book shares some profits and highlights the work of a charity in the country that inspired its story.