Biographical note

David Almond is the acclaimed author of Skellig, winner of the Whitbread Children's Award and the Carnegie Medal; Kit's Wilderness, winner of the Smarties Award Silver Medal, Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Guardian Award; and The Fire-Eaters, winner of the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Gold Award and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. He has also collaborated with Polly Dunbar on the highly acclaimed My Dad's a Birdman and The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon. David lives in Hexham, Northumberland with his wife and daughter. www.davidalmond.com

Dave McKean is a world-renowned artist, designer and film director who has illustrated several books for children, including The Savage and Slog's Dad, both by David Almond. He has also collaborated with Neil Gaiman on Coraline, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and The Wolves in the Wall, as well as the Newbery Medal-winning The Graveyard Book. Dave McKean has more recently illustrated Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck Cookbook and directed two feature films, MirrorMask and Luna. He lives in Tenterden, Kent with his wife and two children. www.davemckean.com