Alex Potter was born on the Scilly Isles, UK, and moved to South Africa when he was seven, where he has lived ever since. He has an MA in English from the University of Cape Town and a PhD from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. He lectured in English at the University of Johannesburg for most of his working life, from where he retired for health reasons. Over the years he has watched with growing alarm the increasing damage we humans are doing to the planet that we call home, and fears for his children’s future if nothing is done to stop and reverse this process. He lives in Cape Town with his wife, two daughters and assorted dogs.