Brian has written fifteen novels for young people, including The Hollow People, published in 2006, the first in a new fantasy trilogy.
He is married, and has two children. He worked for many years as an English teacher, and that was when he became interested in writing for young people. For him, writing for children is one of the most important jobs on the planet. “Without children’s authors there would be no new readers and the whole community of literature would slowly begin to collapse and die.”
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Daren King
Daren has written since he was old enough to pick up a pen without
putting it in his mouth.
His first children's novel, Mouse Noses on Toast, won first prize in
the 6-8 age category of the Nestle Children's Book Prize, and his
debut adult novel, Boxy an Star, was shortlisted for the Guardian
First Book Award and longlisted for the Booker Prize. His books has
been published around the world, including Canada and the US, and have
been translated into Italian, German and Russian.
photo credited to Rankin
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Leila Rasheed
Leila’s first novel, Chips Beans and Limousines was published in February 2008 and immediately long-listed for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. Two sequels are forthcoming.
She began writing at boarding school to fill up long, boring ‘prep’ sessions. She has an MA in Children’s Literature from the Roehampton Insitute (University of Surrey) and an MA, with distinction, in Writing from the University of Warwick. She has also written contemporary poetry for adults, which has been published in various magazines and as part of Heaventree New Poets Volume 3. A short story for adults was short-listed for the Asham Award in 2005-6.
She has previously worked for a children’s literacy charity, Reading Is Fundamental, UK and now works part-time as a children’s bookseller. She lives in Brussels.
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Fay Sampson
Fay is the author of numerous books for both adults and children.
Her work draws heavily on myth, the Arthurian legends, and the historical world of Celtic and post-Roman Britain. Works for adults include the Morgan Le Fay series, The Island Pilgrimage and The Silent Fort. Works for children include The Sorcerer's Trap, Them, and the Pangur Ban stories. She has been shortlisted three times for the Guardian Children's Book award, and is winner of the Barco de Vapor award for The Watch on Patterick Fell.
She also writes non-fiction books on historical themes. Fay writes full time and lives in a Tudor cottage in the West Country
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Val Tyler
Val is the author of two books for children, The Time Wreccas and The Time Apprentice. The first of these was shortlisted for the inaugural Ottakar's children's book prize, and was also the Ottakar's Book of the Month. The second was praised by the Independent for its, 'clever pseudo-science, attractive characterisation and well-sustained suspense.'
Val was a teacher for twenty years, teaching every age group from five to eighteen. She now writes full time and lives deep in the Welsh countryside.
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Dean Vincent Carter
Dean has written two novels for young adults. He began writing short stories at the age of fourteen. After graduating from Thames Valley University with a degree in English and Media Studies, he worked in sales and as a bookseller before getting a job in the facilities department at Transworld Publishers and Random House Children's Books.
His writing talent was spotted by his editor after she read his company-wide emails. His first novel, The Hand of the Devil was published in 2006 to great critical acclaim. He lives in Hounslow, Middlesex.
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John has written four novels for children. His stories are off-beat comedy adventures. Jack Slater, Monster Investigator was shortlisted for the Ottakar’s Children’s Book Prize 2006. Niteracy Hour was shortlisted for the Nottingham Children’s Book Award 2006 and was chosen by The Bookseller magazine as one of April 2005’s best new books for children. Zeus on the Loose was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2005.