Dr Sarah Whittingham FSA is a historian, currently researching a book on the natural, cultural and social history of bracken, in Cumbria.
Her major biography 'Sir George Oatley: Architect of Bristol' came out in 2011, and was shortlisted for the 2012 Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain Alice Davis Hitchcock Medallion, awarded annually for the best architectural history book.
In 2012 Frances Lincoln published 'Fern Fever: The Story of Pteridomania', the definitive work on the subject.
As well as lecturing widely on the fern craze, Sarah has written articles on it for many publications. She has also appeared on various BBC radio and television programmes (including Coast, Great British Railway Journeys, Woman's Hour, and Radio 4's Natural Histories) talking about Pteridomania, and architectural history.
