Born in Sheffield, England, David Spalding studied geology at the University of Sheffield and commenced a career in museum work which brought him to Alberta in 1967. Along with positions in museums, consulting work in heritage management and planning, and performance as a folk musician and storyteller, he wrote extensively for educational radio and television, and contributed to encyclopedias and textbooks. He also conceived and edited A Nature Guide to Alberta and a new edition of Sternberg's classic Hunting Dinosaurs on the Red Deer River. Since moving to British Columbia in 1990, he has written and co-written several non-fiction books, and is currently working on new titles. He is married to fellow writer Andrea Spalding, with whom he performs and teaches as well as writes.