Erik Westra has been a professional software developer for over 25 years, and has worked almost exclusively with Python for the past decade. Erik's early interest in graphical user interface design led to the development of one of the most advanced urgent courier dispatch systems used by messenger and courier companies worldwide. In recent years, he has been involved in the design and implementation of systems that match seekers and providers of goods and services across a range of geographical areas. This work has included the creation of real-time geocoders and map-based views of constantly changing data. He is based in New Zealand, and works for companies worldwide.

He is the author of Python Geospatial Development, Packt Publishing.