David Almond is the author of Skellig, My Name is Mina, Counting Stars, The Savage, Island, A Song for Ella Grey, The Colour of the Sun and many other novels, stories, picture books, opera librettos, songs and plays.

His work is translated into 40 languages, and is widely adapted for stage and screen. His major awards include the Carnegie Medal, two Whitbread Awards, the Eleanor Farjeon Award, the Michael L Printz Award (USA), Le Prix Sorcieres (France) and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. In 2010 he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the world's most prestigious prize for children's authors.

David speaks at festivals and conferences around the world. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. He is widely regarded as one of the most exciting, inspirational and innovative children's authors writing today. He has one amazing daughter. He lives in Bath and in Newcastle, the city in which he was born.

Polly Dunbar is one of the most well known illustrators working in the UK today. Polly's bestselling book, Penguin, has won numerous awards including the BookTrust Early Year's Award, the Nestle Silver Children's Book Prize, the Red House Children's Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Polly was chosen as one of BookTrust's Ten Best illustrators.

Polly is the illustrator of Shoe Baby, Pat-a-Cake Baby and two picture books written by David Almond. Polly created Tilly and Friends, a series which is now animated on CBeebies. She is also co-founder of an award-winning theatre company. Polly lives in the Waveny Valley, Suffolk with her partner and their two boys.