Lev Parikian is a writer and conductor living in London. His books cover a range of subjects: Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? is the story of his return to birdwatching after an absence of 30 years; Into The Tangled Bank explores our relationship with the natural world; Light Rains Sometimes Fall is a year of nature on his local patch; Music To Eat Cake By is a collection of essays on subjects given to him by readers; and Waving, Not Drowning is a lighthearted look at the mysterious world of orchestral conducting. Into The Tangled Bank was longlisted for the 2021 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing. His sixth book, Taking Flight, about flight in the animal kingdom, will be published in May 2023.

Lev also writes a regular column for The Guardian’s Country Diary, and has written occasional reviews for the Times Literary Supplement.

As a conductor, Lev is devoted to the rich world of amateur music-making, and works with several London-based orchestras. He has also produced two CDs, with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the City of Oxford Orchestra, of music by Stuart Hancock and Roland Roberts. A particular highlight was conducting the theme tune for The Missing Hancocks for BBC Radio 4 with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Lev was also the instigator of the popular ‘Twitter Birdsong Project’ – a day-by-day guide designed to help beginners unravel the mysteries of British birdsong. The other tangible product of his extremely online presence was the ‘World Cup of Random English Words’, an accidental year-long project which was, in his own words, “a ridiculous and strangely addictive way to spend time”.