Annelise Gray was born in Bermuda and moved to the UK as a child. She studied Classics at Newnham College, Cambridge University, and was awarded her PhD in 2004. After working for a number of years as a historical researcher for authors and television companies on projects ranging from a biography of Helen of Troy to a history of labradors, Annelise is now a Latin teacher and lives in the south west of England. Her debut children's novel Circus Maximus: Race to the Death was published by Zephyr/Head of Zeus on March 4th 2021 and was the Children's Book of the Week in the Sunday Times. There are now two more titles in the Circus Maximus series, Rivals on the Track (2022) and Rider of the Storm (2023). She is also the author of two books for adult readers, both written under the name Annelise Freisenbruch (The First Ladies of Rome and Rivals of the Republic).