Biographical note

Anne Fine Anne Fine is one of the UK's best-loved authors. She was the Children's Laureate from 2001-2003. She has won the Carnegie Medal twice - in 1989 and 1992 - and the Whitbread Award twice - in 1993 and 1996. She has published over 50 books for children including favourites such as Ivan the Terrible, The Angel of Nitshill Road and How to Write Really Badly. When she was young, it never occurred to Anne Fine that she might be a writer. She thought books were born on the library shelves. But Anne was good at writing stories, and she had a good deal of practice. In 1971 Anne's first daughter was born. Unable to get to the library in a snowstorm to change her library books, in desperation she sat down and started to write a novel. Clearly this was the right job for her, for she has never stopped writing for more than a few weeks since. Kate Pankhurst Kate Pankhurst has an MA in Children's Book Illustration. She has illustrated books by Judy Blume, Ian Whybrow, Steve Hartley and Marjorie Newman. She lives in Leeds with her partner and two rabbits.