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Steve Burrows

Steve Burrows has pursued his birdwatching hobby on six continents, but he began his life-long interest in birds and nature in the urban parks around his childhood home in Birmingham, UK.

Before writing, Steve held a number of jobs from zookeeper to school teacher (a surprisingly transferable skill set) but it was a move to Hong Kong that proved the catalyst for his writing career. Steve became editor of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Magazine, and a contributing field editor with Asian Geographic. His freelance articles on travel and environmental issues have also appeared in international publications including BBC Wildlife (UK), Action Asia (Singapore), Globe and Mail (Canada), South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) and Melbourne Age (Australia).

Steve and his wife Resa now live in Oshawa, Canada, where in addition to writing and bird watching, Steve’s interests include single malt whisky, poker, and various combinations of the two. He is also currently learning to juggle and play the banjo, though he accepts that it’s unlikely he’ll ever be able to do both at the same time.

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Interviewed 15 September 2018

Ten words to sum up your working life to date ...

An exhilarating ride, shared with the love of my life.

Nine things you can see from where you're sitting ...

My laptop screen
Editions of my books
A bottle of 25-year-old Macallan
A 1963 Hofner Committee semi-acoustic guitar
A photograph of my wife
A Downy Woodpecker on the feeder outside the window
Artworks by my grandchildren
A bill with red edging
A calendar with a picture of my parents

Eight minutes to prepare a meal. What's it going to be ?

Ravioli – heated in the can, directly on the burner. Remove from heat, hold can with potholder, eat ravioli with spoon straight from can – preferably over sink. Recycle can, wash spoon. Done! Now back to writing.

Seven people you'd like to go for a drink with ...

David Attenborough
Eric Clapton (a non-alcoholic drink, obviously)
Michael Palin
Jane Goodall
Queen Elizabeth II (tea, presumably)
John le Carre
Roberta Bondar

Six things you can't live without ...

Green space
Quiet time
My grandsons’ laughter
My binoculars
Something to write with
A trip in the works

Five favourite words ...

Okay, I can explain this...

Four places you'd run away to ...

Tibet Mongolia
Madagascar
The tepuis of Venezuela

Three books you've bought recently ...

Revolution by Peter Ackroyd
The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell
Birds Art Life by Kyo Maclear

Two things that make you rant ...

Hypocrisy
Insults to my intelligence

One thing you'd tell your teenage self ...

You know that list of dreams you have? Life’s working on it, so be patient.