I’m lucky because I really love my job. Every day is different and brings so many interesting challenges. I might be trying to work out why bubbles are round - or how to find water on a remote desert island - or how an astronaut could possibly run a marathon in space. I could be writing as a fairy, a secret agent or an alien. It’s all part of the fun of being a children’s writer!

Children often ask me how I became an author, so here’s how I got started. When I was at school, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I was only good at two things: English and Art. (Don’t ask about Maths!) I got a place at art school, graduated and worked as an illustrator for a while. However, it was a lonely life and I soon realised that it wasn’t right for me. So, I got myself a teaching qualification and moved to Spain to teach English, where I had a brilliant time working with kids and adults in Barcelona. Later, I came home to London where my language teaching experience helped me get my first job in publishing – editing language courses for kids. I went on to get jobs at other publishers, working in audio books, non-fiction and fiction and eventually becoming a commissioning editor in the children’s division of a well-known publisher. 

 

By then, I’d written hundreds of book blurbs (the description on the back cover), edited all kinds of books and realised that I quite would like to do some writing myself. So, a few years ago, I decided to take the scary step of becoming a full-time children’s writer and, luckily, I’ve been busy ever since.

These days I work in my little office at home, occasionally talking to myself and making lists of things to remember, in between visiting the fridge for snacks and trying vainly to keep fit.

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