Derek William Niemann

Derek Niemann is a freelance writer and editor specialising in natural history. In 2012, he interrupted a career writing about bees and butterflies to begin researching and writing a family history story that became A Nazi in the Family (Short Books, 2015), based on the SS grandfather he never knew. His other non-fiction books were Birds in a Cage (Short Books, 2011), telling the story of four Prisoner of War birdwatchers in World War II and A Tale of Trees: The battle to save Britain’s ancient woodland (Short Books, 2016). Derek is a country diary writer for the Guardian with more than 300 columns to his name, is a regular magazine feature writer, and edits a magazine for small woodland owners. Formerly he was children’s magazines editor for the RSPB (1998-2014) and during that time wrote a number of wildlife books for both adults and children.