Esther de Waal is an Anglican lay woman who lives on the borders of England and Wales, in the countryside where she grew up. A sense of place has always been important and, after Cambridge, she became the first research student in the newly founded Department of Local History at Leicester.

It was the buildings and their settings in the landscape that led to her interest in monastic spirituality, especially the Benedictine, Cistercian and Celtic traditions, on which she has written extensively.

Esther de Waal travels widely and gives retreats in many parts of the world - feeling a particular connection with South Africa. Her home life centres on the ‘spirituality’ found in her garden and her increasing number of grandchildren.