Derek Corney was born in London but brought up in Hartlepool. One of four brothers, he enjoyed reading from an early age. The notion of writing didn't occur to him until much later whilst travelling the world, working as an oilfield engineer. Visiting and working in places such as North and South America, the Middle and Far East, Pakistan and India, and the Falklands gave him the opportunity to observe how man is exploiting the Earth's natural resources and was a great incentive when writing his novel. The idea of wrapping it up in a children's book came from his children and their concern for the environment.
