Hello,

It’s been some time since I’ve updated everyone about my progress with the new book project, and there have been many exciting developments. None of this work I should add, either past or future, would have been possible without the generous support of my GoFundMe partners. To date over $30,000 has been raised, which has enabled me to devote the necessary time and resources to making this dream a reality.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with my work, I am an academic writer based in Canada specializing in books about endangered species and, in particular, primates. My most recent book, "Threatened and Recently Extinct Vertebrates of the World" was published by Cambridge University Press in 2023. It was the first to discuss all IUCN Red List vertebrates, and to arrange them biogeographically (i.e., by where they live – or lived – in the world). Ten years in the making, it provides all the latest information as well as the stories of those species sadly driven into oblivion by human beings. You can read a review from the Quarterly Review of Biology at the link below:

https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/729262

My next book, "The Primates," is even more ambitious, it having evolved from a single volume into a massive series of four. Combined, these represent the first major synthesis on the subject of primatology in almost two decades, and is among the most comprehensive ever attempted. Drawing upon decades of research and the cooperation of the world's leading experts, it will provide a vitally needed, up-to-date taxonomy along with the latest available information on behaviour, evolution, conservation, and so much more. My hope is that it might be useful for both expert and amateur alike for many years to come. Moreover, I intend to go beyond mere publication, to continue and expand upon the research and to make it available in any way that I can to those who need it.

Writing massive projects of this sort is extremely time-consuming, not to mention expensive. It requires specialized knowledge of the subject matter, obsessive dedication, and, frankly, a great deal of personal hardship. Photos need to be licensed, hundreds of maps created, and hundreds of thousands of words written and carefully edited. It's no secret that most writers such as myself are no longer able to earn a living at this sort of work owing to the pressures of AI, the near collapse of the publishing industry, lack of employment opportunities and, above all, the impossibility of funding. As a non-fiction writer, one finds oneself caught in a terrible no man’s land, unable to qualify either for literary grants or research grants. We’re basically on our own. Those of us who have chosen to carry on, therefore, must find other ways to support ourselves. So it is that I am appealing to each of you now once again, through GoFundMe, for help in seeing this project through to completion. Any little bit would help enormously.

I know that there are endless calls for donations these days, and that we are living in extremely difficult times. But if you or your organization are able to support a project with direct, measurable benefits for both science and conservation, I submit that this might be one worth investigating. I've been doing my part for science and natural history writing for decades. If you can assist with this particular project, please consider doing so. If you cannot I quite understand (though perhaps you might share this appeal with your colleagues and friends). Either way, I appreciate your taking the time to read this, and wish each of you every success in bringing your own dreams to life.

Matt

Disclaimer: no raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe appeal.