Authors

Danny, author of The Happiness Tree, has been searching for magic since he was a young boy, a magic that can only be seen, smelt, heard and felt in the great outdoors. Exploring endless fields of long grass, the high branches of tall oak trees, overgrown meandering river banks and long swooping valleys that felt as though they would go on forever; they did go on forever throughout an everlasting childhood.

These adventures in the pursuit of magic and wonder later expressed themselves in Danny’s work as an Outdoor Educator, Storyteller and Children’s Author. In his stories Danny aims to provide children with an enchanted gateway back into the outdoors, a pathway that will lead them, filled with excitement, wonder and eagerness on their very own adventures into their very own special places.

When we encourage children into the outdoors through positive, memorable and personal experiences we lay the foundations for a generation of children to build an emotional bond with nature and protect her and all her beauty well into the next generation and beyond.

Rory O’Keeffe, author of The Toss of a Coin: Voices from a Modern Crisis, has over 15 years experience in journalism, during which time he covered floods, riots, General Elections, economic crises, war, housing and immigration, Rory O’Keeffe moved to Tunisia, then Libya, late in 2011, to perform political analysis and raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis caused by the Libyan Civil War.

Since then, he has worked in an advisory and communications role for a UK political party, and simultaneously in communications and political analysis for international aid organisations.

Colin Hills, author of Stabilisation and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste: Science & Practice, has over 30 years’ experience in geo-materials and cement based systems for the treatment of soil and waste, including working in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, primarily as a geologist. For the past 25 years he has been working extensively on S/S, has published over 100 papers, and has authored guidance on S/S for the Environment Agency (England and Wales). His work has attracted international recognition, has won a number of national and regional awards and led to innovative treatments for the management of difficult wastes.

Peter Gunning, co-author of 
Stabilisation and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste: Science & Practice, is a geologist with an MSc and PhD in Chemical Science. He is Technical Manager of Carbon8 Ltd, a company specialising in waste treatment and carbon capture and a visiting lecturer at the University of Greenwich. He has over 10 years’ experience in product and process development for the treatment of contaminated materials, novel mineral and waste carbon capture and waste/soil treatment plants. He has published numerous papers and articles on waste management, soil remediation, the sequestration of carbon in mineral systems, and the production of secondary aggregates and recycled construction materials.

Ed Bates, co-author of Stabilisation and Solidification of Contaminated Soil and Waste: Science & Practice, retired from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2009 after 32 years of service, including over 20 years working as an expert technical advisor on site characterization, remedy design, and remedy construction for nearly 100 CERCLA and RCRA sites. He has extensive experience of the regulation of S/S sites, including 25 S/S, 22 S/S treatability studies and 20 site specifications for treatment by S/S. he was a contributor to the IRTC Guidance document, a member of the PASSiFy project team. He has won numerous awards including 9 USEPA bronze medals, two EPA Scientific and Technologies Achievement Award and the National Notable Achievement Team Award.

Miriam is illustrator, concept artist and character designer based in Manchester who lives with her husband and cheeky cat Charlie. Growing up in the rural village of Romiley, with nature on her doorstep, the green fields and pastures formed the central influence in her artwork.

From a very young age ‘Miri’ had a vibrant passion for illustration and storytelling, with weird, wacky and wonderful characters, which later grew into her career; graduating with a BA in Illustration and Animation at Manchester Metropolitan University, which geared her up to getting a Master of Arts on the World Renowned Children’s Book Illustration Course at the Cambridge School of Art. She spread her wings in 2012 by moving to Dubai and getting a job within the worlds tallest building; the Burj Khalifa, as the in-house illustrator for their gift stores, where her passion and quirkiness can be seen throughout her artworks.

Ruth Shedwick graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in Environmental Planning. Her passion for the natural environment and love for creatures great and small is evident in her writing. She currently lives on rural moorland on the edge of ancient woodland and shares her home with four cats and a wolf. 

Since an early age, Ruth has been intrigued by the ancient world, folklore, myths & legends and explores the unknown. Her works include contributions to Dark Carnival: An Anthology of Horror featuring international authors, with future novels currently with publisher. More short stories are available on her site.