Catherine Webb was born 1986 and is a British author, educated at the Godolphin and Latymer School, London, and the London School of Economics.
She was just fourteen years old when she completed Mirror Dreams, written during her school summer holidays. She sent her book of to a publisher who thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The book was published in 2002, and Webb was soon named Young Trailblazer of the Year by the magazine Cosmo GirlUK. Since then, she has gone on to write more books and has been favourably compared with Terry Pratchett (one of her literary heroes) and Philip Pullman. She has now published six novels, all with Atom Books, and is a third-year history student at the London School of Economics.
Webb prides herself on the scientific and historical accuracy of her Horatio Lyle books, which have been acclaimed by reviewers and readers. A lifelong Londoner, she enjoys walking through the areas she describes in her books - Bethnal Green, Clerkenwell and along the River Thames - comparing the city of London as it is now to how it was at various times in the past. She appeared in Cosmo Girl in 2006/7 in an interview and inspired many young writers to try and get published.