Deborah Chancellor lives in rural Essex with her husband and extended family (two grown up sons, their partners and her 5 year-old grandchild).
She has been in children’s book publishing all her working life; first as an editor, then as a writer. Deborah has worked on books for all ages covering a wide range of topics: from dinosaurs to space travel and everything in between – including honey bees!
Deborah has been shortlisted for the Little Rebels Award with Real Lives: Harriet Tubman, and the third title of her Follow my Food series, Shelly Hen Lays Eggs, was short listed for the Teach Early Years Award.
Q & A with the Author about her book The Perfect Rebel
What made you want to write this book?
Emily Davison, because she was an amazing woman who did everything she could to help give women more rights. Today, Emily’s story is almost forgotten ... but not quite. I wanted to write it down so more people could hear about it.
Who is your role model?
My daughter Imogen is my role model. She never lets her dyslexia stop her from trying her best, and being really cheerful about everything that she does.
Which suffragette do you most admire?
The suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst. She stood up for her beliefs, even though it didn’t make her popular with some people. She really wanted to make a difference to the world she lived in.
If you could meet Emily Davison, what would you say to her?
I would ask Emily what I should say to people who can’t be bothered to vote.