Desmond Morris (1928 – 2026)

21st April, 2026

All of us at Reaktion Books are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Desmond Morris (1928 – 2026).

Desmond Morris was an English zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter, as well as a popular writer in human sociobiology. He wrote a number of books for Reaktion Books, including Cats in Art and several books in the Animal series.

He was best known for his 1967 book, The Naked Ape and television programmes such as Zoo Time.