Merlin Sheldrake

Merlin Sheldrake (born 1987) is a British mycologist and writer known for his work on mycorrhiza.

Early life and education

Merlin Sheldrake was born in 1987 in London to Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and author, and Jill Purce, a therapist. He grew up near Hampstead Heath in London. His brother, Cosmo Sheldrake, is a musician. As a teenager, Sheldrake was influenced by Paul Stamets, a self-taught "fungal evangelist," and Karl von Frisch's book Animal Architecture.

Sheldrake received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in biological sciences, where he also earned a master's degree in the history and philosophy of science and later a PhD in tropical ecology. He studied underground fungal networks in Panama's tropical forests as a predoctoral research fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Career

In 2020, Sheldrake authored his debut book, Entangled Life, which was a bestseller in both The Sunday Times and The New York Times and received the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize. Entangled Life has positioned Merlin Sheldrake as a leading advocate for fungi. He has presented an IMAX film called Fungi: Web of Life which was narrated by Björk and filmed in Tasmania's Tarkine rainforest.

Inspired by Sheldrake's book, couture designer Iris van Herpen created a collection based on fungi, featuring designs mimicking chanterelle mushrooms and hyphae.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheldrake co-founded a business called Sheldrake & Sheldrake with his brother that sells fermented hot sauce.

In 2021, Sheldrake consulted on Stella McCartney's fungal-themed Paris runway show, which featured a soundtrack by his brother, Cosmo Sheldrake that used a device to convert mycelium's electrical signals into musical notes.

Sheldrake works with the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, which aims to map and protect global mycorrhizal diversity. He also works with mycologist Giuliana Furci and NYU law professor César Rodríguez Garavito to create legal protections for fungi, contributing to a larger movement that aims to provide legal representation for non-human living entities. Since 2023, he has been a research associate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Personal life

Sheldrake is married to the poet, Erin Robinsong.

Bibliography

• Sheldrake, Merlin (2020). Entangled Life
• Sheldrake, Merlin (2023). Entangled Life: The Illustrated Edition