John Wright

John Wright was born in rural Hampshire in 1951, but at the age of five, he was dragged, screaming, to live in Portsmouth where his father was working as a nursing officer. He lived there, off and on, until 1980 when he moved to rural West Dorset where he has been ever since. Here, an early interest in natural history blossomed. It continues to blossom, though the odd petal drops now and then due to advancing years.

For three decades he followed an appallingly ill-paid career as a reasonably accomplished, self-employed cabinet maker. From 2000, he was occasionally taken from his bench to participate in the River Cottage series of television programs, where he showed people how to find, identify and eat wild fungi, seaweed and plants.

For the last ten years, in addition to leading people on wild food walks, he spends his time writing magazine articles and books. Seven books have been published so far, with two more on their way, God willing. His published works include four books in the River Cottage Handbook series - Mushrooms, Edible Seashore, Hedgerow and Booze. More recent works are: The Naming of the Shrew (about Latin species names, not shrews), A Natural History of the Hedgerow and The Forager's Calendar.