Manali Patil is an artist and freelance illustrator based in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. She creates meticulously detailed illustrations of the natural world, hand-drawn and painted on paper in the watercolour medium. Her work mainly focuses on native flora and fauna, and she occasionally explores different subjects and styles. Her interests range from wildflowers, dry leaves, to tiny moths, and currently—all thanks to this book—she’s fascinated by trees in their landscapes; their rootedness, and connection to other beings. Her work was shortlisted for the Young Botanical Artist Competition, and was exhibited at The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens, in 2023.