Robbie Burton was born, and has lived most of his life, in Nelson. After working as a conservationist and then a community arts worker, he began in 1990 as the publisher at Craig Potton Publishing, now Potton & Burton. Over the last three decades, Potton & Burton has grown into one of New Zealand’s largest independent publishers, entirely focused on non-fiction books. He continues to live in central Nelson with his family, and to get out into the backcountry whenever he can.