Paul Gallico(1897–1976) was born in New York City and studied at Columbia University. After serving in the First World War he became a journalist with the New York Daily News where he enjoyed particular acclaim for his sports writing.

In 1936 Paul Gallico moved to Salcombe in South Devon where he became a full time writer, living in a house on a hill with his Great Dane and twenty-three cats. He became a notable war correspondent during the Second World War.

Among Paul Gallico’s best known books are The Snow Goose (1941), a classic story of Dunkirk, and The Poseidon Adventure (1969), which was made into a very successful film. His magical stories about animals, particularly cats, are enduring favourites. These include Jennie (1950) and Thomasina (1957).