About the Authors:
Adam Hills is an internationally recognized comedian and host of award-winning Channel 4 show The Last Leg. His collection of stories from a life in comedy, Best Foot Forward, was a The Times bestseller. He is also the author of the hilarious children’s book series Rockstar Detectives.
Adam Kay is an award-winning writer and non-award- winning doctor. He has sold over five million books in 37 languages, including one million children’s books, making him one of the UK’s bestselling children’s authors. He lives in Oxfordshire with his dog, husband, two children and beloved BAFTA. Ben Bailey Smith is a British actor, rapper, comedian and screenwriter, and creator of the BAFTA-winning CBBC comedy 4 O’Clock Club. His first children’s picture book, I Am Bear, was an instant hit with critics and readers alike, and he has since written two early-reader favourites for Bloomsbury, Get A Move On! and Crumbs! His middle- grade debut, Something I Said, published in 2021.
Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and she has been nominated four times for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing, and currently lives in North London.
Greg James and Chris Smith are the multi-award- winning and bestselling authors of The Great Dream Robbery, Super Ghost, The Twits Next Door and the Kid Normal series. Outside of their writing partnership, Greg James is a radio and television broadcaster, and Chris Smith a solo author of acclaimed children’s books Frankie Best Hates Quests and Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency.
Hannah Gold is the multi-award-winning author of the internationally bestselling The Last Bear, The Lost Whale, Finding Bear and Turtle Moon. She grew up in a family where books, animals and the beauty of the outside world were ever present, and is passionate about writing stories that share her love of the planet. She lives in the UK and is an ambassador for Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
Konnie Huq is a well-loved broadcaster, writer and speaker, who was a familiar face for over a decade as the longest-serving female presenter on legendary children’s TV programme Blue Peter. She is also a King’s Trust and British Asian Trust ambassador. Konnie became a bestselling children’s author after releasing Cookie and the Most Annoying Boy in the World.
Nadia Shireen is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator. As well as the hugely successfulGrimwood series, she has also created several picture books, including Barbara Throws a Wobbler, The Bumblebear and Billy and the Beast. She co-hosts children’s book podcast The Island of Brilliant alongside Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell- Boyce. Nadia has been shortlisted for several awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Brandford Boase Award, The Lollies and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. She lives in Brighton.
Nathan Bryon is an actor, a BAFTA nominated screenwriter and a Sunday Times bestselling author, who grew up eating as much Uxbridge Road Caribbean food as his bank balance would allow. His first picture book, Look Up!, was the number one picture book from a debut author and illustrator in 2019, and won the Overall Waterstones Children’s book prize in 2020.
Pamela Butchart is a teacher and the writer of many award-winning books, including The Spy Who Loved School Dinners and My Head Teacher is a Vampire Rat. She is also author of the bestselling picture books Never Tickle a Tiger; Yikes, Stinkysaurus! and the hugely successful Baby Aliens series.
Sally Rippin is the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2024–2025 and has written over a hundred books for children and young adults, many of them award-winning. Sally loves to write stories with heart and characters that resonate with children, parents and teachers alike.
Sibéal Pounder is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the much-loved children’s fiction series Witch Wars, the Bad Mermaids series, Neon’s Secret Universe, and the Christmas hit Tinsel. She has also written Beyond Platform 13, the sequel to The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson, and the novelization of the film Wonka. Her World Book Day book, Bad Mermaids Meet the Witches, was a Sunday Times bestseller, and her debut, Witch Wars, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Award.
