Marianne Taylor is a freelance writer, editor, illustrator and photographer, specializing in natural history subjects. A former editor at the publisher Bloomsbury, since turning freelance in 2007 she has written more than 30 books on wildlife and nature, in particular birds and insects, many of them in collaboration with the RSPB. She has also written numerous articles for publications such as BBC Wildlife, Birdwatch and the i-newspaper. She grew up in Hastings and now lives in Hythe, and has a particular passion for the wildlife of marine and coastal habitats – she is also a keen sea-swimmer.