Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer, and speaker renowned for his expertise in mycology and ecology. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed book "Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures," which explores the profound role fungi play in ecosystems and human life. The work became a bestseller, won the Wainwright Prize in 2021, and earned nominations for prestigious awards such as the British Book Awards and the Rathbones Folio Prize. Translated into twenty languages, "Entangled Life" was celebrated by major publications like The Times and The New Statesman as a Book of the Year.
Sheldrake holds a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University, where his research focused on underground fungal networks in Panamanian rainforests under the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. His interdisciplinary background spans microbiology, plant sciences, philosophy, and the history of science. Currently a research associate at Vrije University in Amsterdam, he also contributes to conservation efforts as an advisor for the Fungi Foundation and the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Through his writing and research, Sheldrake illuminates the hidden connections between fungi and the broader natural world.