Kieran Larwood was born in Kenya. He moved to the UK when he was 2 and lived in various places before settling on the Isle of Wight, where he can still be found: exploring rockpools, climbing trees and writing - slowly disappearing behind a mountain of notebooks and empty coffee mugs. He taught Reception class in a primary school for fifteen years before becoming a full-time author. Kieran's books have won several awards, including the Blue Peter Best Story and the Prix Sorcières. He is inspired by a life-long love of fantasy stories, which all began when - as a young boy - he picked up a copy of The Hobbit and saw the map inside. It just goes to show - you never know where opening a book will lead.

David Wyatt is an illustrator living in Devon. He has illustrated many novels and is also much admired for his concept and character work. He has illustrated tales by well-known authors such as Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and J. R. R. Tolkien.