Brought up on a rather remote Somerset farm in the 1950s
and 60s with three brothers, Michael Ratsey learned to amuse
himself alone. Walking miles, the woods, fields, hedgerows
and the life within them became his companions. But the cows
were his greatest love. After a public school education which he
attended as a day-boy, the dreamed of dairy farming life was
no longer an option so he headed off into the world of teaching.
Twenty years in, suddenly he decided to stretch himself
academically and within a year completed a Masters Degree
in Environmental Biology at Swansea University. Shortly after
this he was diagnosed with a health issue and was warned his
life expectancy might be only 5 years. To keep himself busy and
sane, he painted water colours, wrote in various genres, swam
a mile twice a week and became an authority on snails. It was
during a time on dialysis the idea of writing a children's story
was generated... Loving his garden, he lives in a National Trust
cottage in Somerset with his old collie dog, Wolfie.
