Natalie Babbitt started out as an illustrator and has written and illustrated many novels and picture books for children. Tuck Everlasting has won several awards in the US including ALA Notable Book. Natalie has also won countless awards for her other books.

Natalie teaches writing for children and book illustration and also writes reviews of children's literature for the New York Times Book Review and other publications. She is a grandmother of 3 and lives in Rhode Island, USA.

Susan Cooper is a world-renowned author of children's books. Born and brought up in England, she worked as a journalist before moving to America, where she now lives.

Her classic The Dark Is Rising sequence has won the Newbery Medal and was twice shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Her Boggart titles have won the Scottish Arts Council Children's Book Award and been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Smarties Prize.

King of Shadows was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. As well as writing novels, Susan Cooper has written for the theatre and for television.

Jack Gantos has written books for people of all ages, from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels for young adults and adults.

His works include Hole in My Life, a memoir that won the Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors; the Joey Pigza series, which include a Newbery Honor book and a National Book Award Finalist; Dead End in Norvelt, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; and the Rotten Ralph series.

Kate DiCamillo is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time winner of the Newbery Medal, for The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis.