Richmal Crompton was born in 1890 and is best known for her thirty-eight books featuring William Brown, which were published between 1922 and 1970. Born in Lancashire, Crompton won a scholarship to Royal Holloway in London, where she trained as a schoolteacher, graduating in 1914, before turning to writing full-time in 1923. Alongside the William novels, Crompton wrote forty-one novels for adults, as well as nine collections of short stories. She died in 1969.

Michael Foreman is one of the most talented and popular creators of children's books today. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal two times and has been the UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice. His highly acclaimed books are published all over the world. He is married and has three sons. He divides his time between St Ives in Cornwall and London.